Friends, Revenge, Tears & Vulnerability
by GeorgiaTypes
Summary: Sequel to 'Genius, Billionaire, Playboy & Philanthropist" this story carries on the life of Tony & Pepper. They are finally keeping up a stable family home, but for how long? Including finding out the truth behind their fathers arc reactor,teenage years and growing up. The two Stark children embark on their future full of possibilities. A ton of Pepperony, so buckle up.READ&REVIEW!
1. Chapter 1 : Where's Daddy?

_Authors Note; Hey! I'm back with a vengance and a new story! This sequel is the story of new parents Pepper and Tony as they bring up their children, Evelyn and Rowan, How will they cope in the world of parenting? Featuring finding out about their father's horrific time in Afganistan and why exactly he has an arc reactor to become the Iron Man the world knows and loves, growing up, young love and traumatic events. Hence the rating. _

_Relates heavily to the first story, but don't worry if you haven't read it, although it'll fill in some gaps you may find puzzling._

_Super nervous about this, I hope your gonna like this story as I'm having fun wiriting it so far. I started as soon as I finished the last chapter of the first story. I'm currently writing the seventh chapter *gulps* I think I may need to go to a support group...?_

_Anyway, ignore my irrelevant waffling, my stomach will contnue to churn untill I revcieve some lovely follows ectt.._

_and please, please remember to REVIEW!_

_x_

_Sequel to Genius, Billionaire, Playboy & Philanthropist. _

*Note; Evelyn has brown eyes- New change.*

_Title; Friends, Revenge, Tears & Vulnerability._

_Chapter 1 : Where's Daddy?_

_Pepper POV;_

_Oh Tony; where the hell are you?_

Life is hard. Hard when you have to occupy one difficult two year old and a quizzing five year old when your husband is away on a mission tasked to him and the rest of the team by Director Fury ; saving the world as the famous Iron Man sometimes with or without The famous Avengers.

I always found it challenging looking after my two children when Tony was on a mission.

Time had passed from the whole ordeal of the two pregnancies I had experienced, Evelyn turned 5 last week and Rowan finally reached the terrible twos. Evelyn was a breeze, she always did what I asked of her without any protest.

Five years old for my little girl led to one hundred and one questions; about everything , anything to everyone. She was quite the little charmer who always knew how or when to gain the attention and make people laugh. Being the daughter of a genius, Evelyn showed evident signs of intelligence more frequently than ever.

Evelyn mainly sported her looks from her father; her dark brown hair, set in lengthy waves her hair touched the top of her shoulders, they oddly reminded me of the photo Tony possessed of his mother, Maria always a perfect model to her beautiful vintage waved locks.

She had Tony's beautiful, hypnotic deep chocolate brown eyes, she also shared his straight nose. From me, Evelyn took my high cheek bones and creamy skin.

Rowan on the other hand had a different personality to his big sister, my son was more quiet and reserved but he showed glimmers of early intelligence as well. Of course he spoke, very well in fact but he became more shy in front of people he didn't know very well. Although, he was only very chatty when he wanted to be mostly to Tony and I.

Rowan's hair was a mixture of mine and Tony's colouring resulting in it being a sandy brown, his eyes blue like mine, Tony's facial structure and lips but my nose.

"Mommy, when is daddy coming home?" Evelyn wondered in from her place in the living room playing with a load of toys she had gotten from her godparents and parents for her birthday.

"Um, honey I'm not sure. But he'll be back soon though, I promise." Bustling around the kitchen to prepare everyone's dinner. Evelyn followed me around wordlessly for a while, tugging on my work dress every now and then.

"Mommy. I want daddy."

It breaks my heart, every time. The times where she wants to see her father when he's on a mission - especially this four day one he was embarking on at the moment. Evelyn always missed him when he was away, the two of them both did, unfortunately there isn't anything I or Tony can do until he gets back.

I crouched down to her level seeing her watery eyes and pout. I drew her chin up with a finger.

"I know you do but listen; how about we ring daddy when it's time for bed? We'll ask daddy when he will be coming home and say goodnight." I wrapped my arms around her; supporting her on my hip as I stood back up.

"Yes, I hope he comes back soon." She said quietly lying her head on my shoulder.

"Me too."

"Right, eat up." I popped her down on one of the breakfast bars chairs next to Rowan who had been sitting there quietly all this time drawing, then set down their plates of food in front of them.

"Thank you, mommy." They both said. Rowan flashed a smile at me.

The rest of the evening was followed by more entertainment, answering questions and then ringing Tony for Evelyn when she was safely tucked up in bed, bouncing around waiting to hear that all too familiar 'hello' , I had Rowan waiting on my lap as well.

Unfortunately; Tony failed to pick up dampening everyone's mood even more. My worry increased sky high. So there was nothing left to do but attempt to get a decent nights sleep.

I predicted I wouldn't be able to, I wasn't wrong there. Tossing and turning until around two in the morning just drove me crazy, checking my phone every two seconds was mentally exhausting as it read 'no new missed calls'.

At half two the bedroom door opened letting in an unwelcome rectangle of yellow artificial light. I shot up. Hope rising only to fall again.

It wasn't Tony. Not that I was sure it would have been him; I normally hear the clunk of metal below me in the workshop.

Not Tony, not Rowan but it was Evelyn walking slowly towards the bed old fashioned styled golden haired teddy bear in hand Steve gave her for her third birthday.

"Can't sleep?" I asked her quietly observing her sleepy but sad expression coupled with messy bed hair. Evelyn shook her head sadly. Dragging the covers back Evelyn clambered up passing over Tony's side of the bed to cuddle herself closer to my exhausted frame. I loved the company and hugged her closer sending her soundly off to sleep within five minuets.

Finally at ten to three, a muffled clunk of metal sounded in the workshop. My heart leapt at the sound. Evelyn settled right back down into the pillows once I had retracted my self from her hold giving her hug to the teddy in her grasp.

I half ran down the stairs eager to catch a glimpse of Tony, glad to notice the suit was disappearing into the pedestal.

Tony shot me a tired smile and opened the workshop door to meet me at the base of the stairs.

"Hi." Was all Tony could get out before I latched my arms around him. Smelling him, feeling him so I could convince myself this was no dream.

"I'm glad you're home, I was getting worried." I said relieved, we kissed lazily as it was almost three in the morning. Tony tired from a very long mission and my long day at work followed by caring for two children all evening.

"It's good to be back; missed you, Pep."

"Are you injured?" I asked curiously not sensing any gasps or sharp intakes of breath during the time my hands ran up and down his sides.

"I got cleaned up at SHIELD's facility when Fury de-briefed us. Why are you up this late?" Tony mumbled into the space between my ear and curve of my neck, embracing me again. I hummed in happiness.

"Couldn't sleep. Did you get my missed call?"

"I had to attend the de-brief, so I unsuited. JARVIS notified me on it a few hours ago. Bed?"

"Yeah."

Tony and I tiredly dragged our feet upstairs. So tired I forgot the little person occupying our bed.

Tony let out a laugh through his nose.

"She missed you."

"I missed you all."

We decided Evelyn needed to sleep in her own bed (and for us to have some space in ours.) so Tony carried her back.

Tony carried Evelyn down the hall to her currently unoccupied room enjoying the feel of her weight baring in his arms after so many days of saving the world. I followed after carrying her teddy.

"But mommy I have to wait for daddy to get home." Evelyn protested still half asleep.

"It's okay, I'm home now. You can sleep, honey." Tony set her down in bed, Evelyn was already returned to her dream land before her head fully touched the pillow. Tony took a moment to draw the covers up and around her, taking the teddy from my outstretched hand, and tucked it into the empty cradle her hands made.

He kissed her forehead.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I asked Tony "I'm not injured" Stark when his sharp intake of breath and jolt away from me when I leaned my head on his shoulder, completely content all of three seconds ago sitting up in bed enjoying the feel of having Tony home. I tugged on his t-shirt trying to find the injury that caused obvious discomfort.

"Yeah, yeah-Ow! Pepper, I didn't think you would be up for it now?!"

"Let me see your shoulder." I ordered still tugging. A moment later, Tony shed his t-shirt with a sigh.

The white cushioned dressing under the sleeve soon became visible when Tony awkwardly peeled his t-shirt from his well chiselled body; yeah, I missed him a lot.

He slowly peeled the medical tape away revealing a large gash. I retained a gasp.

"You cleaned this yourself, didn't you?"

"Quickly."

I sighed rushing over to snatch the first aid kit in the en suites' cupboard. The gash wound around his upper arm starting at the tip of his shoulder plummeting down in a harsh diagonal line. It was obvious to tell Tony hastily cleaned himself up, the dried crimson blood decorated his flesh and the gash paraded in an angry red.

"How did you even do this?" I asked him over his hisses from the cotton wool dampened with anti bacterial dabbing ever so gently at his arm.

"A piece of metal in the suit became loose when I crashed, I'll fix it later... Thank you." He added when I finished and replaced the dressing with a bandage.

"It's what I'm here for." I replied running my hand down from his chest down to the waistband of his sweat pants.

"I love you." Tony turned my chin up for a kiss. It deepened quickly making us both a little short of breath in no time. Tony pulled me on top of him slowly reclining until his back hit the mattress completely. (I was thankful for the huge sized bed preventing us toppling over onto the floor.)

"I love you, too." I whispered breathlessly in-between his shower of kisses on my lips, jaw and neck.

The sensitive touch of his lips on mine surged a rush of adrenaline it pumped in my ears and made my hands tremble.

My hands rapidly explored his topless half, unthinkingly clenching down on his upper arms as his flustered breath and kisses made themselves noticeable on my neck- Tony cried out in pain making us both sit up at the same time.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" I felt guilty and muffled my apology with my hands piled over my mouth.

"I'm fine! Oh god-Ow! Pepper, I didn't know I had such an effect on you?"

"There's the ego!" I laughed patting his cheek.

My husband silenced me with a very welcome kiss against the sheets.

"You love my ego."

"That's obviously debatable."


	2. Chapter 2 : Good Morning

_A/N: Heya again!_

_Thankyou for the wonderful reviews and follows ect for the first chapter, thats very lovely and I appriciate lots!_

_I'm loving writing this, as I've done nine chapters and its turning a litte addicitve! Help! No. don't I'm kidding I love it too much!_

_I love including the kids in this chapter they're so cute! And I've been told by my proofreader and bestfriend JustLikeWildfire that in the newer chapter (8&9) they're very much like Pepper and Tony! So thankyou!_

_Uh, what now? Oh yes! So I hope you love or like this chapterm I work hard! Instead of revising for my Romeo & Juliet essay I'm writing for you lot! I'm sure I'll be fine! Femenist beliefs can be put into anything.. _

_So continue to REVIEW AND FOLLOW you lovely little readers! And if I get enough I may upload again tomorrow! _

_Feed my review monster in my attic, he needs reviews to live :-) _

_Chapter 2 : Good Morning._

_Pepper POV._

All in all; Tony and I got about two hours sleep not that it mattered much Sunday was usually a lazy day, all of us thankful no one had work, school or nursery.

Last night we just talked about the mission, I accidentally made his already bad injury worse. I still felt horribly bad about that.

Mainly, getting him back after a mission that stayed on his mind for a while resulted in him being a little clingy which I had absolutely no problem with or would ever tell him. Tony's clingy moments were nice to relish in, I was never really sure if clingy was a suitable word but it was just his little moments of wanting closure from a safe, loving source after the destruction and evil he had just dealt with. Those segments of time that kept his tormenting dreams away long enough for him to fall into a peaceful slumber.

Well, anyway by morning we both looked like hell especially Tony, the sunlight replaced the moonlight ensuring bruises and hairline cuts could be detected now. Thankfully, none decorated his face.

I accidentally woke Tony up from his light snooze by gently doing a final once over on cuts or gashes.

"Y'know. I think that's called sexual harassment, Potts. I don't know whether you should be taking advantage of me while I sleep like that." I heard Tony mumble into the pillow; a sigh following his speech. His eyes remained closed, a hint of a smile started to tug on his lips.

"Oops, sorry."

Tony replied by the winding of his arm around me stopping when his forehead rested on my shoulder.

"I'll bring you up a coffee ,shall I?" I offered not really wanting to move but knowing I had to at some point. Sooner rather than later.

Tony got up anyway, I still beat him to the shower.

I went to see if Rowan was up first knowing Evelyn would be oversleeping from her disrupted sleeping pattern last night.

Rowan was just waking up.

"Morning honey." I whispered, his face cracking into a beaming smile but still a little drowsy, adorably stretched and rubbed his eyes.

"Mommy!" Rowan held his arms out to be picked up by me.

"Guess who's home? Daddy's home!" I scooped him up from his bed. He quickly got quietly excited as soon as my words sank in.

"Where's daddy!" He asked me quietly, playing with my hair gently. He laid his head upon my shoulder.

"In the kitchen, daddy missed you!" By the time we quickly checked on Evelyn who was sleeping like a rock, Tony was already downstairs brewing some coffee, still looking weary as he leaned against the island rubbing his eyes. Rowan had inherited the same identical gesture.

I set Rowan down onto his feet, letting him run over to his dad.

"Daddy!" Rowan ran all the way.

"Morning, buddy!" Tony mirrored Rowan's excited expression, crouched down briefly to sweep the jumping toddler up from the floor, my heart melted watching Tony hug his son tightly like he never wanted to put him down.

"I missed you."

"I missed you too little guy, Were you a good boy for your mom?" Tony asked re-adjusting his hold on Rowan so he rested on his dad's hip. Our son nodded in reply.

"Good to hear it, champ." Tony kissed the top of Rowan's head. Rowan started to play with the brightness of the arc reactor by pinching the fabric of Tony's t-Shirt back and fourth.

Tony and I exchanged a fond expression, before he set him down on a chair at the breakfast bar, sliding a bowl of cereal in front of him. Tony ruffled his hair as Rowan said thank you.

"Good boy." I kissed his little cheek.

"Daddy? Why were you gone so long?" Rowan grasped Tony's arm from the side catching his attention. Rowan often did it, this little quirk developed from a younger age he liked to have a lot of physical contact; tactile. It was his other little way of communicating.

"I 'gotta save the world, buddy. You know that. This time, it took a little longer than we thought." Tony helped him down from the breakfast table. Hugging him fondly again when Rowan wrapped his little arms as far around Tony's torso as he could.

"Don't go and wake up your sister, Rowan honey. She's still sleeping." I called after him as he bounded into the living room.

An astonishing hour later, Evelyn appeared from her room still, just as Rowan was, in her pyjamas clutching her teddy rightly named 'Captain A-Bear-ica'. She rubbed her eyes coming down the stairs looking still very sleepy.

"Good morning, honey." I murmured into her hair while she hugged me. Careful not to wake Rowan and Tony who were soundly asleep on the couch, Tony resting against the arm with Rowan curled up in the space between his father's legs and the arm of the sofa, his head resting on Tony's chest.

"Sir, the telephone is on hold for you. Director Fury is on line one." JARVIS's voice made us all jump, especially Tony and Rowan. JARVIS shocked them out of sleep making them sport the same drowsy but astounded expression.

"We debriefed last night, what the hell does he want?" Tony groaned rubbing his eyes.

"Come on, Rowan." Rowan took my outstretched hand following Evelyn and I into the kitchen to give Tony a little privacy on the phone. I sat both the kids up to the table, Evelyn hadn't had breakfast yet so I took the time to fix a bowl of cereal for her then made Rowan a drink before leaning against the door making myself visible for the duration of the conversation.

"Stark. I need you to come in." Fury said very seriously making me concerned.

"Why the hell should I? I did your mission only last night. Give me a break."

"We've found more tech." Fury sighed at Tony's stubborn quality.

"Pretty sure Steve would be more than happy to go. Send him."

"I need you, Stark. Rogers is off duty."

"I'm off the clock. Send someone else... JARVIS, end call." Tony snapped effectively hanging up the phone before Fury could get another word out.

Tony walked grumpily into the kitchen.

"Have I ever told you how much I hate Nick Fury?"

"I believe you may have mentioned it once or twice, yes. I take it your not going in?" I asked him, rubbing his shoulder in comfort. Tony jostled Evelyn onto his lap at the table, quietly wishing her a good morning.

"No way. It's the weekend, I have other responsibilities."

"Aw, Tony! Is it happening? Are you finally growing up?" I teased him making the kids laugh.

"Daddy's growing up!" Evelyn giggled, whipping her head back to look at Tony.

"Hilarious, isn't it?" Tony chuckled in mock sarcasm eliciting more laughs from all of us.

_... ... ... ... ... ... ..._

_Tony POV._

After a lazy afternoon of even more sleeping, movie watching and pointless snacking, Pepper shunned everyone off to scrub up for the evenings upcoming event.

A few years after the Battle of New York, an annual event for the lives lost. The Battle Of New York Memorial Event was annually held at Stark Industries event facility built in Manhattan, all of us 'superheroes' were invited to host the even; especially myself who funded this occasion. Other than that, there was no strict invitation. People who were affected by the battle or who lost loved ones were more than welcome to bid the yearly respects.

Bodyguards (like Happy) were usually on stand by incase of trouble that rarely occurred.

This time around I was a little more nervous; this would be the first time Pepper and I took the kids with us. I was apprehensive about how they would take to the roaring attention, camera flashes and press; specifically Rowan. He was only two and strangely (considering I; Tony Stark is his father) shy, I knew Pepper was also concerned she didn't attempt to hide it due to her lingering touches of mother instinct I highly recognised.

Pepper reminded me of Maria Stark quiet a bit; she was caring, loving, a brilliant mom and knew exactly what do to under any and every circumstance even if they happened to be a little odd.

After making sure the kids had everything they needed in a packed bag, the plane flight would be too long to expect Rowan and Evelyn to sit in the clothes they would be in all evening so Pepper and I could change them in a deluxe suit booked in the Crosby Street Hotel in New York.

As I thought Pepper was in our bedroom finishing off the final touches to her hair and make-up. Pepper arranged her hair into a sleek pony tail, the ends curled in a vintage fashion swinging with every movement, her thick bangs left down. Her strawberry-blonde hair glimmered under the lights of the master bedroom.

Pepper obviously didn't expect me to wind arms around her empire line firmly, kissing her cheek.

She gasped, her eyes flying up to glare at me through the mirror.

"Oh Tony, can you never do your own tie?"

"Yes, but I do prefer when you do it for me. Mm, you look great by the way." I kissed her unexpectedly on the lips when she turned in my grasp to fix my tie.

"Thank you, Mr. Stark. It was a birthday present from you, actually." She smirked eyes flickering up every now and then to meet my own.

"Oh, really? Boy, I have good taste." I winked. Pepper always knew how to make a big enough statement with her dress sense to always end up in Vogue magazine each month.

Tonight, her fashion sense hadn't faltered. It was subtle, simple, but yet a statement that both flattered her figure and make our outfits complement each other.

She wore a simple black dress, stopping above her knees the material hugging her figure just perfectly so that Pepper looked beautifully radiant. It wasn't too low cut along the neck, but sported some lace detail. Paired with the dress Pepper stood tall in a pair of designer burgundy suede heels (matching my tie) and jewellery.

Behind us Rowan and Evelyn quietly bickered, she tugged on his jumper's collar while he pulled her hair.

"Car's running boss, ready to go when you are." Happy appeared in the doorway looking very trim in his black tux. The kids loved Happy, he was considered family to me, Evelyn and Rowan regarded him as one of their many uncles.

"Happy!" They both cheered one after another high-fiving Happy enthusiastically.

"Heya kids!"

"Ready Mrs. Stark? Good, let's go we've got an event to attend." I said hoisting Rowan up into my hold, Evelyn took Happy's hand and exited the room.

Pepper slipped her arm through mine, clutch bag in hand and together we proceeded towards the car.


	3. Chapter 3 : A Special Superhero Promise

_A/N: Firstly, I'M SORRY! I didnt upload last night my email wasnt working so I had no way of transfering this document onto my laptop! I was annoyed!_

_Oooh, and I was very busy watching the Iron Man 3 trailer (the third one) released yesterday! Oh my god! You have no idea how much I cried! Pure brilliance Mr. Downey Jr and Marvel!_

_Anyway, this isnt my favorite chapter along with chapter four, but still I mught upload no 4 in a bit. To make up for yesterday and seeing as I am sooooo far ahead! 'Cause now they're like 8 and 10 and in this one they're 2 and 4!_

_Enjoy, massive THANKYOU TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED! KEEP GOING! I NEED THEM TO LIVE!_

_x_

_Chapter 3 : A Special Superheroes Promise._

_Tony POV._

_Recap._

_"Ready Mrs. Stark? Good, let's go we've got an event to attend." I said hoisting Rowan up into my hold, Evelyn took Happy's hand and exited the room. _

_Pepper slipped her arm through mine, clutch bag in hand and together we proceeded towards the car._

_**... ... ... ...**_

The car ride would have been long, from Malibu to New York. That was if we decided to drive all the way from the west coast of Malibu to New York with two young children, it wouldn't of been a wise decision. Which is why Happy drove us to the airport for a quick flight on the newest Stark Jet, it was modified to go double the speed of a usual jet.

Rowan wasn't best pleased about the plane ride we had to take, he sensed what was happening from Happy loading luggage into the car so he was pretty miserable the whole car ride. We both knew Evelyn would fine with it, she would sit in her own seat on the plane and ask Pepper lots of questions.

The car rolled to a stop on the tarmac, Rowan looked out the window and recoiled clambering up to loop his arms tightly around my neck in fright. He shuddered against me, quickened breath making itself known in the crook of my neck.

Pepper bit her lip helping Evelyn out of the car so Happy could sit with her on the plane for a second.

Rowan only hugged tighter when my hands rubbed up an down his spine, clutching him firmly.

"We have to get on the plane, darling. I'm sorry and I know you hate it." Pepper said leaning onto my shoulder.

"Mommy, I don't want to." Rowan wept into my neck without looking up.

"We know you don't. I used to be scared of planes, y'know. But I sat with my dad, and I was okay. So how about that?" I tried comforting him.

"All the way?" Rowan asked timidly trembles still audible in his voice.

"There and back, promise. A special Superheroes promise." I promised him, feeling like a horrible person for having to take him on the plane.

"Shall we go then, Rowan?" Pepper whispered not wanting to upset him further.

"Yeah. I'm scared." Rowan stuttered. Rowan relaxed slightly into my lap turning his head to the side so he could see Pepper.

"You've got nothing to be afraid of, know why? Because I'll be looking after you, little man." I assured him, being more of a father to my son than my father ever was to me.

Rowan gave final nod before letting me carry him out of the car and onto the plane, Pepper making happy conversation the whole way to the plane to find Happy and Evelyn playing a game together, already she was settled her luggage packed away and the bare essentials with her.

"Good to go?" Happy stood up clapping his hand together.

"Yes, Thank you Happy. Just a little speed bump." Pepper assured him.

He hated it, every passing second. It emotionally killed me to see him so helpless against me. Rowan curled up in my iron vice grip in my attempt to make him feel loved and safe.

Take off was the worst part all in all, I've never known Rowan to hold my hand so tight when the plane left the runway.

"I got you."

Apart from the taking off an the landing, Rowan was fine. We chatted purposely to keep him distracted, looked out of the window a lot and I read to him until he slowly drifted into sleep.

"Less planes, more driving I think." Pepper appeared from the doorway handing me one of the two coffee's she held.

"This is just the first part, I'm still stressing out about tonight." I said rubbing the frown lines from my forehead.

"We'll leave earlier if we have to, I don't want either of them pushed in the spot light." Pepper looked down at the both of us anxiously.

The jet landed in the buzzing city of New York finally after a few hours.

"Come on, Evelyn. Time to go." I helped her down from the chair, stopping when we came to the stairs set outside the jets door.

"What's up, sweetheart?" Crouching down more to her level in the blazing sun to meet her glazed brown orbs.

"Carry me down, daddy?" Evelyn tugged on my tie enough until she could wrap her arms around my neck. My kids have me wrapped around their fingers.

"'Course, honey. Looking forward to tonight?"

"Yeah! Uncle Steve is 'gonna be there! And Uncle Bruce and Uncle Thor!" She smiled widely, her grin infectious it caused me to smile as well ensuring Pepper had Rowan with her, then started towards Happy with the started car.

Crosby Street Hotel was magnificent from the inside out, beautifully classy and not too busy. But still; and very predictably the paparazzi were waiting outside. Evelyn took Pepper's hand ready to get out of the car, Happy was sure to make a walkway before opening the door.

"Ready?" She asked Evelyn, who nodded happily.

"You 'wanna walk?" I looked to Rowan who's immediate expression was fear at the very prospect of setting foot out into that jungle of reporters.

"Daddy, no. Carry me." He scrambled onto my lap gathering up a large proportion of his red striped blanked for comfort.

I arranged the blanket around him for a stronger sense of security adding to the addition of being in my arms. After helping Evelyn and Pepper through the crowd, Happy returned hastily.

Evelyn was fine with the reporters attempting to hassle Pepper, she quickly walked along in-between Pepper and Happy even waving at some of the reporters.

At first I was a little apprehensive about passing through them all, luckily Happy stayed close to the side Rowan plastered himself to me. He tried his best to keep himself concealed with his head buried in my neck, the guilt trip expanded when his body started to tremble from the down right outrageous racket the paparazzi and reporters created.

Finally in the lobby, we were all a little more relaxed so much so Rowan wanted to be set down. I got the key for our room and Happy brought up our luggage shortly after.

Our room was perfect, one of the biggest suits overlooking the stunning view of the city, bought for a reasonable price for the duration of the night was the Drawing Room which largely resembled that of an apartment. A large master bedroom suit beautifully designed with an old English with modern twist that was an ongoing theme throughout the house, a spacious drawing room which had two couches situated around a glass coffee table in front of a fireplace and a big flat screen TV on the wall the drawing room had a dining area too, there was a bathroom, an en suit connected onto mine and Pepper's bedroom, a smaller bedroom but still decently sized with two single beds for Rowan and Evelyn and lastly a balcony - that was by all means out of bounds.

But soon enough the silence of our accommodation was ruptured with peels of laughter and the sounds of a five year old accompanied by a two year old jumping on the beds.

There was only a little more time for relaxing and room service before we had to get ready. A foretime, my phone started to ring.

"Hello?"

"Stark, you in New York yet?" Unexpectedly, Steve's voice funnelled down into the receiver.

"Yeah, uh. In Crosby Street Hotel.. Steve? How the hell did you get my number?"

"Doesn't matter, so listen-"

"I swear; if Fury is giving out my number on his little business cards-" I started before he rudely interrupted me again.

"Be quiet and listen a second!" Steve laughed in an 'oh my god, your unbelievable' kind of sense, "We were talking earlier when we found out someone needs to make a speech tonight, so Fury said you have too."

"Who's we? I don't really do what-Fury says so.." I dug my heels down stubbornly.

"Natasha, Clint, Bruce, Thor, Me, Fury, Coulson and Hill. We all voted you, seeing as you offered to pay, it kind of came under the job description."

"How kind. Wait-so you're telling me this what," I checked my watch, "An hour and a half in advance, nice one Steve. Good going."

"Just do the speech, Tony."

"Bye Steve." With that he hung up.

Later on, when there was about an hour to go and Pepper had finally unlocked herself from the bathroom she found me drinking a scotch over looking the tremendous city through the huge window occupying a whole wall.

I barely noticed Pepper clad in a robe until she caught my gaze from my drink with her bare legs taking each step past me with her gracious strides.

"You're evil, Potts."

Pepper winked back.

"Who were you talking to earlier on the phone?"

"Steve. I've been 'voted' to make a speech tonight." I was sure to insert the quotation marks.

"Play nice, Tony." Pepper laughed, hugging me from behind and nuzzling the nape of my neck.

"Apparently I don't."

"Hey, you'll be fine. I love you." She spun me around. Pepper looked beautiful just as she was, I wished we could stay here.

"Mm. That's good to hear Pepper. You complete me." I whispered against her lips. She kissed me against the amazing backdrop of the sun setting city until my head started to spin.

"Now, where are those kids? It's gone too quiet." Pepper dragged me by the hand in direction of the suddenly quiet bedroom.

... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Pepper finished her hair and make up while I changed into my suit. Changing Rowan became a challenge as his new terrible two role set in after a long days travelling and fuss, he quickly became a ridged-backed, reluctant, whinging and crying child.

Usually, when these episodes occur either catching him in a bear hug or ignoring him and explain mumbling isn't coherent quickly resolves his issue with the world.

I sort of had to opt for the firm but fair option. We didn't have long left so I hoped he would give in soon. Changing Evelyn into her evening clothes was a breeze as usual.

To my utter relief, less than twenty minuets later, Rowan came grovelling to me in the living area. Pepper followed after him at a slower pace, arms crossed and a tiny smirk tugging at her lips.

Pepper was dressed in a plum dress, hugging her figure delicately down to just above her knees. Over the dress lay a layer of intricately designed lace. Past the visible sweetheart neck line, the lace extended upwards around her shoulders and stooping down to her elbows, the lace slightly transparent showing a little flesh but not too much.

Rowan hugged my leg, looking up to me with that pouty 'forgive me' face I knew only too well.

"Rowan, what do you say?" Pepper said firmly.

"Sorry, daddy." He asked for forgiveness just as I plummeted down to crouch in front of him.

"Thank you for saying sorry, good boy. Kiss and hug?" Rowan leaned into me for a hug, I kissed his head, a moment later her returned it with an off centre one landing on my goatee. Pepper 'aww'ed'.

"Shall we go get you changed then?" I stood up to hold his hand leading him back towards the bedroom.

Once that was all done, the four of us headed down towards the lobby of the hotel to meet our transport to the event.

We all pretty much colour co-ordinated again, Evelyn in her plumb coloured dress and a fur coat layered on the top, Rowan's little grey suit, white shirt and plum tie matching my outfit completely and Pepper's plum dress and patent nude six-inch heel ensemble.

I wiggled my fingers at Evelyn who took my hand tightly in hers.

"Gonna be a good girl tonight? Stick with mommy and daddy." I said still a little worried about this evening. Evelyn stuck close to me and Pepper placing herself in the middle of her parents, I securely stuck my hand on her shoulder. While Pepper held Rowan against her side he rested on her hip laying his head on her shoulder, eyelids drooping.

"Always am, Daddy."


	4. Chapter 4 : MSSBTW

_A/N ; Yay! Two Chapters in a matter of hours!_

_PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!_

_I'm this is if you want another chapter tomorrow?_

_hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm..._

_Happy reading ;-)_

_Chapter 4 : Maple Syrup Smothered Blueberry Topped Waffles._

_Pepper POV._

The event was in full swing everyone enjoying themselves with a drink in their hands and a sway in their stance as they danced to the American-Jazz harmonies supplied by the jazz band.

Thor had been accompanied by Jane, Bruce with Betty, Steve, lastly Tony and I. Although no sign of Natasha an Clint.

_To: Natasha Romanoff._

_From: Pepper Stark._

_Where are you? Tony is about to make his speech, Hope you can make it._

_P xx_

I sighed heavily, the two year old making my arms fall asleep. At least he was, sleeping that is. Rowan wasn't too sure how to take all of the sudden people around him making far too much noise and additional fuss over both of the children. I spied Steve dancing with Evelyn over on the dance floor, while Tony circulated child free.

_To: Pepper Stark._

_From: Natasha Romanoff._

_Five minuets, Clint was running late home with Uriah's outfit from the dry cleaners, we wont miss it!_

_X_

"Hey." Tony returned a few moments later, his glass still full.

"How'd it go?"

"I've never spoken about Iron Man so much... Okay, maybe I have." He added when I raised my eyebrows at him.

"Take him please, my arms are going dead." I sighed at the warmth of blood flushing back down my arms when Tony took Rowan out of my arms happily, careful not to jostle him too much in his sleep.

"Sure thing. Hey buddy." Tony whispered to Rowan, "Where are the spy kids? They're going to miss my speech."

"I can still sneak up on you, Tony. Spy kids? Seriously?" Natasha smirked from her slyness successfully making Tony jump. But from Tony's sudden quirk, Rowan woke up.

"Hi Natasha." I stepped forward to hug her, from over her shoulder Clint came into view with my godson holding his hand, Uriah.

"Hello, sweetie." Natasha stroked Rowan's cheek with her fingers. He was more awake now, winding his arms around Tony's neck, waving at Natasha and Clint.

"Aunty 'Tasha!" Evelyn ran through the maze of people chuckling at her as she made bolted over to Natasha, Steve rushed after Evelyn not wanting to lose her. Natasha quickly ducked down in time for Evelyn to jump into her arms.

"What's up ,kiddo!" Clint high-fived Evelyn when she jumped over to him.

Both of the kids were pretty worn out by the end of the evening. Especially after Tony's speech which was brilliant not to mention funny.

The evening was enjoyed with good friends, a five year old, a two year old and a four year old entertaining the 'boring old adults' as Tony a put it as they weaved in and out the crowd. Uriah and Evelyn danced very cutely to the music as the evening wound into night.

_... ... ... ... ... ... ... _

_{Evelyn 7 years old, Rowan 5 years old & Uriah 6 years old.}_

_Tony POV._

"Evelyn! Rowan! Breakfast!"

Soon enough, after several shouts, the thumping of their feet filled the mansion as well as my ears.

"JARVIS, are they dressed?" I chuckled against the sound of the two of them running around each room energetically. Bouncing across the couches on their way to the kitchen.

"Partly, sir." JARVIS replied a moment later, almost a sigh in his monotone voice.

Evelyn appeared in the kitchen first only to be dragged back by her hair, Rowan's new favourite thing to get his big sister's attention with. Evelyn shouted out in protest before whirling around to dump her little brother down onto the floor before laughing again.

JARVIS was right. Rowan only seemed to have managed to slip a school polo shirt on, pyjama trousers bagging around his feet still.

I wished Pepper didn't leave to go to work so early she had trusted me with getting both the kids ready for school even on Rowan's first day.

I was just about ready to scream!

Evelyn countered Rowan standing before me just in her pleated school skirt and pyjama top.

"Why aren't you dressed?!" I said stunned. Who said women were the only ones who could multi-task? I slid the waffles onto plates smothering them with maple syrup and blueberries. Mmm, They always loved my rendition of maple syrup smothered blueberry topped waffles.

"I didn't know where my trousers were! Evs started it!" Rowan shoved her again pouting just like I tend to do.

"Did not! I lost my top, daddy! Stop it!" Evelyn whined adding the 'stop it' on the end to Rowan. A few seconds later, Evelyn replied with a nuggee.

"Do you know who lives here, guys?"

"Huh? You? Mommy?" Evelyn asked puzzled. Furrowing her eyebrows adoringly.

"Me!" Rowan shouted suddenly making me laugh.

"Yes, but no. JARVIS! Ask him and he'll tell you where your things are." I served them both breakfast and juice.

Both gave obvious 'oh's' to their oblivion.

After breakfast I was caught in-between each child, did I go one way to aid my daughter or opt the other to lend a hand to my son? Even I forgot about JARVIS after the scream worthy morning.

"Sir, may I be of assistance?"

"Yes! JARVIS, thanks!"

"Young mister Stark's school trousers are folded up in his drawers and Miss. Stark's shirt is hung in her wardrobe."

I sighed erratically again. They were both too much like me sometimes.

"There, one down. One to go." I rushed over to Rowan steering him into his room after I helped Evelyn get dressed and roll her white socks upto her knees. Thankfull Pepper arranged her hair.

Trying to get them to stand still whilst brushing their teeth.

"Got everything?" I asked the two of them.

"Yeah..." Evelyn and Rowan replied in a monotone voice.

"Good, good, good. Right.. Uh. Car then school."

I packed them into the car, whizzing down the highway at a slightly reasonable speed.

"Have a good day, I'll see you after school, sweetheart." Kissing Evelyn goodbye she hugged me back.

"Will do, daddy. Bye!"

"And you, little guy. Have a good day, make lots of friends, work hard and look after him Evs. And remember, if anyone gives you any stick just say your dad is Iron Man. Bye baby, love you." I kissed him too, feeling his arms around my neck as he hugged me. It was getting difficult to hide my springing emotions toward this event, something I had never understood about parents; how emotionally attached they became, I mean children could usually look after them selves especially if they had a sibling. Of course I had seen it first hand from my mother, but feeling it buried deep beneath my skin was something totally different.

"Bye, daddy." Rowan hurried off with his sister disappearing into the school building leaving the doors swinging behind them.

I wasn't able to ascend from my crouching position. Slightly teary eyed from my youngest child starting his first day at school. God they grow up so fast. I earned some sympathetic looks from some of the others moms, so I thought best to get moving. Giving a final look at the school before I straightened up and set off.

The sun beat down onto my convertible silver Audi giving off an unforgiving silver glint in every direction before heading home.

… … … …

The Stark Industries entrance to the main reception was dense with reporters.

Walking out of the lift on the executive levels Pepper could be seen typing away on her computer every now and then through the glass panelled windows of her new office, next door to mine.

Pepper had looks of frustration etched all over her face in-between typing, taking little bites out of her blueberry muffin and sips of her coffee.

She even glanced at her phone several times before picking it up. Hesitantly fiddling with it.

"The kids are at school successfully, JARVIS is updated and I've re-wired Mark VII."

"On time, Tony? Were they both okay? Did you watch them go in?" Pepper became instantly anxious, wrapping her arms around herself rejecting work for a minuet.

"Nine o'clock on the dot, 'Course. I waited until they went inside together... It was-"

"It was what?" Pepper relaxed a little. Unwinding when your youngest child had just started his first day at school was hard. It was a silly thing to admit, however I felt scared for him. Rowan isn't outlandish like Evelyn. He takes after Pepper mostly; more timid apposed to my characteristics and 'textbook narcissism'.

Is this how my parents felt? A part of me wished they were still here. Parently advice and all that jazz.

"It was- I don't know. Worrying?" My arms failed out each side struggling for the right words.

"I know they'll be okay, that's all I'm telling myself. Once the first day is out of the way it will become routine and we'll be used to letting him go, just think about how miserable we were when Evelyn had her first day at school we just need to keep our minds busy. We'll pick them up together."

_... ... ... ... ... ... _

_Pepper POV._

Today was a long day. The average work load seemed to have tripled just to spite me. Why had my attention been demanded from every corner of the Stark Industries building?!

Mrs. Stark this. Mrs Stark that. Mrs Stark, what do you think? Mrs Stark what are your opinions?

My head hadn't been far from banging against a nearby brick wall.

Meanwhile, Tony had scurried away to the technician's floor to comply to the ongoing demand for his attention completely oblivious to the need for his signature on various documents.

So by the time Tony returned and Happy showed up waggling the Bentley keys aloft signalling not only the end of the day but the end of the school day as well, Tony and I had never been so relieved to hear that jangling sound.

I bounced my knees eager to see the first sight of the school.

We waited amongst the other parents for a while before that distinctive, piercing sound of the school bell ringing that always took you back to your school days, followed by children pouring out of the main doors.

Evelyn came strolling out with Uriah and a few other friends. It was safe to say Evelyn and Uriah were best friends, they were so close and loved to spend lots of time together. I waved at Natasha across the playground as she took Uriah's hand when he high-fived Evelyn goodbye and ran off towards his mom. Evelyn stayed for a moment chatting to her girlfriends before they all said goodbye to each other with a hug.

"Mommy, Daddy!" She came jogging over, her vintage ox blood satchel swinging on her arm. Evelyn's long, dark brown, vintage waved hair bounced with every movement and shone under the sun. The sides of Evelyn's hair pinned and plaited back just the way I had arranged it this morning.

"Hey, honey." Tony slapped his hand to hers, replying to the offered high five she gave.

"Good day, Evs?" I asked hugging her to my side.

"Yeah! Me and Uriah aced our math test!" Evelyn cheered, turning to wave at another friend that passed us. Giggling just like the sound of a thousand bells chiming, Tony always said she had my laugh.

"That's 'cause you're a little genius! Where's your brother?" Tony praised her sweetly earning another giggle.

"Riiiight... There! Rowan!" She shouted bouncing on the spot when her little brother came into view.

Rowan turned toward his name.

"Tony!" Tony's grin was almost bigger than mine.

Rowan continued walking, with a new friend. He seemed very talkative. The both of them laughed every now and then. Bumping fists, they bid goodbye.

"Mommy!"

"Rowan! How was your first day?" I bent to kiss his head.

"Hi Daddy! It was fun! My teacher is nice!" Rowan grinned just as I let out a huge sigh of relief.

"That's great, little guy... Oh. Speaking of which." Tony said surprised at the figure beginning to impose on our little family moment.

"Hello, Mr. Stark. Mrs. Stark."

"Hi." Tony grasped the woman's outstretched hand, shaking it firmly.

"Please, it's Pepper and Tony. But hi." I said.

"I'm your daughters teacher, Patricia Collins. I was wondering if I might have a word?"


	5. Chapter 5 : A Suspicious Character

_AN: Heya! _

_Tonight, not only am I uploading one chapter... but three. I'm insane._

_Well, not completely, I want you all to be more up to date with what I'm writing._

_Massive thankyou to all that have reviewed. I LOVE YOU! _

_And thank you to Hera, the guest reviewer, you said that my story made your day, I nearly cried! That means so much to me! XX_

_Please REVIEW AGAAAAINNNNNN!_

_X _

_Chapter 5 : A Suspicious Character._

_Tony POV._

This woman, Evelyn's teacher lead us through the school chatting to Pepper like most primary school teachers tend to do. Way too much. Disregarding Miss. Collins' endless chatter I couldn't submerge the goading feeling I had seen her before. The question was ; where?

I wasn't receiving the greatest aura from her.

"Just wait outside a minuet kids." I muttered. Leaving them outside the classroom while Miss Collins lead us in.

"Evelyn is very well suited to this school and has made lots of friends within her year group. But her behaviour has lead me to believe she may-"

"Hold up," I interrupted her, outraged, "It sounds like your diagnosing her with some terminal illness!"

"Tony!"

"No, no, Pepper. Tony has every right to be confused. Do let me finish; certain aspects of Evelyn's behaviour has made the impression she may have ADHD."

"ADHD?" Pepper sounded confused now. While I only chuckled, dryly.

"I'm sorry. You've got to be mistaken. My daughter most definitely does not have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. What the hell are you thinking?! What 'aspects' of her behaviour are you referring to?"

"Tony!" Pepper scolded again, apologizing to Miss. Whatever her name was.

"Naturally her chattiness, inability to concentrate, constant daydreaming, unable to stick at tasks, some tasks seem challenging although they are perfectly suited, Evelyn simply dismisses them and continues to mimic calculations in the backs of her books. I'm convinced she's mimicking these calculations as I see it near impossible a girl her age could work these equations out. Evelyn is a credit to you both, but you may need to consider getting her checked out." Miss. Collins concluded remorsefully.

"I haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary, she's such a well behaved young girl, I haven't..." Pepper trailed off looking dumbfounded.

"Evelyn is a bright girl she absolutely doesn't have ADHD." I sighed.

"Mr. Stark," Oh the way she Mr. Stark'ed me rang a bell in a distant corner of my mind, "I understand your confusion and frustration, the sooner your daughter is diagnosed-"

"Is any of her work ever incorrect?" I asked bluntly.

"Well, no but-"

"Is it ever incomplete, the stuff she attempts?"

"Not exactly-"

"She's bored. Excelling your class maybe."

"Bored? I hardly see how that's true. I've received my colleagues confirmation on my opinion." Miss. Collins started to sound more harsh.

"Evelyn has always picked things up quicker than other children her age. She's bored in your lessons because she knows it all."

"Tony, maybe we should talk to Evelyn about this?" Pepper suddenly intervened.

"Good idea. Pull up some higher grade questions for three years above her age range, we'll see if she can answer." I challenged. Duely noting when she smirked maybe looking a little pleased with my response. Why the hell was she so happy I had said that?

Beside me Pepper rubbed her forehead tiredly.

"I'll get her." Pepper started towards the door pulling it out of her way and proceeded to motion both Evelyn and Rowan in. 'Miss. Collins' , though I suspect that isn't her real name, had taken out a sheet of paper beginning to write down some questions; difficultly up to my expectation.

"I haven't done anything wrong have I? I swear. I didn't do anything!" Evelyn came waltzing in crossing her arms looking a lot like Pepper.

"Don't worry, your not in trouble." Pepper soothed her. Evelyn looked to me.

"We just have a little challenge for you." I said smugly.

"Evelyn, take a seat. I'm going to give you some questions, okay?" Miss. Collins said, Evelyn nodded. Although she remained looking a little confused still, "Right. If you can't attempt these that's completely okay, they are out of your ability range by a few years. The questions are some algebra advanced, might I add targeted at 11 year olds."

"Is it bad if I get these wrong? Will I be in trouble?" Evelyn asked most innocently, looking a little worried.

"Not at all. This is just a little test to see how your doing." Her teacher concluded before handing Evelyn a pen a blanket of odd silence settling around us. All eyes on the whiz of the pen flying across the paper.

Evelyn worked like both of her parents. I took the time to pick of the traits of Pepper and I.

She worked sufficiently like Pepper in that leaning back in her chair sporting a perfectly straight posture. Evelyn's brows knitted together every now and then.

Like me, Evelyn switched her crossed legs after a few minuets, shuffled in her chair. Obviously spotting a textbook error in her calculations, she ran her index finger harshly across her eyebrow in frustration then quickly correcting her error.

The sheet she currently worked on was at least sixty questions, but she flew through it like a whirlwind. Every blink I took, my eyes returned back to her paper to see at least ten questions and been completed.

"Done." Evelyn chirped into the silence. Miss Collins reviewed over the completed sheet a smirk quickly appeared before she erased it just as quickly letting an utterly astonished look paint it's way across her features.

"I. Uh-I. This is right. All of it, it's all correct."

"I thought so." Pepper pursed her lips.

"So, there's your proof." I said coyly.

"I suppose I must've made a mistake. I'm sorry to have wasted you're time." I couldn't dismiss the glint in her eyes. A smug, vulgar glint in her hazel glazed eyes magnified behind the horn rimmed tortoise shell glasses balanced on the bridge of her nose produced my mind with more evidence to be more suspicious.

"Thanks for your concern. But I think we're more than capable to watch over our children." Pepper politely smiled, encouraging us all to stand as she did.

When she though we had gone out of ear-shot, although I hadn't closing the door ajar and positioning myself out of eye sight.

"Sir. She's intelligent, extremely so... Yes. I'd say boarding on genius for her age... His stare lingered like he was trying to work it out... There's no way he will... I'll confer with Fox about her brother... And Daniels about Barton and Romanoff's son. She's a definite possibility."

Then I walked off. I couldn't process it quite.

"Tony!" Pepper called over her shoulder urging me to hurry along.

Who was she talking to? She? Was Miss. Collins talking about Evelyn? What the bloody hell was she a possibility for?

True, Evelyn could share my intellect a well as Rowan but what would they even need her for? She's a child for god sake.

If I have anything to do with it Evelyn will not be thrust into the spotlight like I had been all those years ago. It simply could not happen.


	6. Chapter 6 : Puzzle Pieces

_Chapter 6 : Puzzle Pieces. _

_Pepper POV._

A solitary thought often occupied my mind even when I desired it not to. I was an individual who thought not to regret any decisions or paths in life I may take, this didn't apply to that particular life choice causing me to often go back on myself.

It was a time I had shared with Tony and also a time I felt in complete vulnerable isolation caught in between what was reality and what was right for us as an engaged couple.

What I wasn't sure of was whether Tony thought of it too. He's so currently happy with our family set up here in Malibu, he had forgotten a long time ago about the worrisome time before Evelyn's birth where he had threated over the possible inheritance of his father's behaviour towards his son all those years ago.

What I always thought about was the baby I aborted.

Before Evelyn, before Rowan and before the wedding.

Setting my sights on Rowan and Evelyn made me think of it quite frequently. If truth be told, I had kicked my self ever since. Almost everyday. It ate me up.

Down in the workshop Tony had Rowan tucked in nicely on his lap where Tony sat on his desk chair.

They were almost identical in the way they held themselves. The way they rubbed their eyes. How they had oil and grease smudged in impossible places or yanked out random parts of a car to inspect.

"So the spark plug supplies?

"An ignition to the air or fuel mixture so it can combust." Rowan answered his father perfectly pointing to the correct part of the exposed engine.

"Brilliant, see you do know. What has it got to do?" Tony encouraged through Rowan's apparent under confidence.

"Ignite the fuel at the right time... For it to make things work properly." Rowan added looking up at his father for approval. Then spotting me.

"Good boy! Oh.. Hey Pepper.. It's not what it looks like!" Tony swivelled around.

"And what would I look like, boys?" I let a smirk rearrange my features.

"Rowan was eager to learn some more... I found him banging on the workshop door."

"Ah, right." I laughed. Remembering neither of the kids had authorization codes to the workshop.

Tony had added a hand recognition for places like the front or back door exit.

"Sir, I have breeched SHEILDS security protocols. We now have complete access to all hidden and public files." JARVIS's voice rang through saying something I totally didn't expect. Breeched protocols? What had Tony done now?

"Tony!" I spun to see him cringing.

"Thank you JARVIS, scan those pictures I've sent you." Tony muttered.

"Uh, Rowan head up stairs a minuet please. And clean up before even touching those cream couches, young man!" I guided him out of the room watching until he disappeared.

Returning back to Tony's side seeing the large web page in front of the hotrod. I pulled the car's door closed after Tony did leaving little space between us on the scarlet leather seat.

"Tony. What are you doing?"

"I didn't want to say anything until I was certain... But their teachers; Evelyn, Rowan and Uriah's are SHEILD agents... I think I'm in the process of discovering this possibly." Tony ran a hand through his hair whispering this slightly to ease the blow.

"I don't underst- Why would Fury..."

"He didn't ask. Or mention it. Which makes me want to break his neck even more. Evelyn's teacher or pretend teacher, Miss. Collins if that's even her name, called someone the other day after we left. I recognised her. She called someone who I'm guessing was Fury. Evelyn was bordering on genius.. A potential? She ended the call with the discussion she would have with the other 'teachers' about Rowan and Uriah."

He couldn't be serious? The anger and frustration was evident in his eyes, they spoke the utter truth.

Before I could respond through this murky confusion JARVIS spoke up again.

"Sir, I can indeed confirm the photographs scanned match the database. Using SHIELD's database I can inform you Miss Jennifer Stevens, Mr. Adam Johnson and Miss. Danielle Thompson are tasked to watch over the Miss. Evelyn, Mr. Rowan Stark and Mr. Uriah Barton-Romanoff with false identities to evaluate their skills for future obtainable recruitment for SHEILD in order to discover their possible usage in the company's best interest. The current stage is monitored as evaluating skill sets. This is the last stage. Nick Fury, director, will resign their posts in order to remain secrecy."

"Oh my god! We need to tell Natasha and Clint!" I screeched as horrified as I'm sure Natasha and Clint would be at the prospect of having their children watched. Watched?!

How unbelievable!

"We will. What's on the docket?" Tony asked his eyebrow cocking.

"Sir, a yearly SHEILD meeting will be held this afternoon to renew the security contract between the Avengers and the company, all members will be attending even Nick Fury, Maria Hill and Phil Coulson."

"Game on." Tony said pulling himself out of the car. Probably to clean him self up.

I was fuming. But ecstatic to attend the meeting this afternoon, we had to call Rhodey in for specialist babysitting. I'm sure he'd be okay with three kids.

"Pepper, are you sure Rhodey doesn't mind?" Natasha idled in the hallway after Uriah had been ushered off by Evelyn into the living room.

"No, no, honestly it's fine. We should be going. We need to talk." I assured her and Clint. Watching Tony gather the car keys and saying bye to Rhodey.

"Chat about what, Tony?" Clint asked from the front seat in which he and Tony were sat.

After Tony and I had explained, I intervened to attempt to calm Tony's ranting down at least when he was driving. Our words left Natasha and Clint with an outraged expression.

"They're checking my son's 'skill set' ?! Fury... I'm going to-" Clint exploded in front of me. While Natasha turned to look out of the window. Shaking in anger. She remained silent.

"And Fury's put them up to checking my kids IQ!" Tony hollered back.

"Just calm down, this should be handled stealthily. I'm furious about this as well, You'll hardly see me shouting off the rafters. Nat, are you okay?"

"Yes. I'm fine, Pepper. Fury shouldn't be involving our children into his company."

... ... ... ... ... ...

Tony POV.

Fury sensed all four of our off moods. Especially my bitter, hostile disposition.

My foot tapped against the carpet of the boardroom. My hands thumped against the glass table in which all members of the Avengers were seated. Quietly at that.

Natasha and Clint seated themselves across from Pepper and I, both portraying furiously serious expressions mirroring mine. While Pepper looked furious, dashes of worry scatted across her expression in fear of what was about to go down. Or rather who was about to kick off.

The other members; Steve, Thor and Bruce joined us at the table sensing the tense atmosphere.

"Wow, this good mood is just contagious this afternoon." Steve uttered sarcastically.

Beside him Bruce smirked, but otherwise frowned toward Tony's attitude opposite to his usual sprightly state of mind, resting his chin in the palm of his hand.

On these meetings, each member had to write down each close friend and family member they were in contact with in order to avoid threats upon them.

Bruce wrote a solitary name: _Betty_.

Steve didn't write any, making some remark about them all being dead or in nursing homes.

Thor wrote; _Darcy, Eric_ and of course _Jane_.

Clint and Natasha wrote _Uriah Barton-Romanoff_.

I wrote _Virginia 'Pepper' Stark, Evelyn Vera Stark and Rowan Anthony Stark_. Pepper let an exposed smirk widen across her lips as I added hastily; _James Rhodes _and _Harold 'Happy' Hogan_. Then let Pepper jot down her family's names.

"Is there anymore topics up for discussion?" Fury concluded his boring speech about protocols.

"Yes, actually. There is one tiny detail you seem to have left out." I broke the second silence, positioning myself in the chair to face his already irritated expression.

"I'm listening."

"I-infact all four of us," I barked motioning to us four angry subjects. "Leave my children out of your company. They will have no part in your demands."

"Wait, what's going on?" Steve asked.

"Fury planted agents to pose as teachers into the school Evelyn, Uriah and Rowan attend. To, what was it, evaluate their skills for possible future recruitment?! Remove the agents and all data you have."

"Seriously?!" Steve exclaimed, following Bruce and Thor's astonished expression.

"What's the point in that, surely you would know Tony would find out? I mean he does have a track record for hacking into your database." Bruce cut in.

"Which is exactly what I did." I grinned.

"My son will never be an assassin for you. Back the hell off." Natasha spat.

"It was an idea-"

"Oh! And your full of them! An idea to bring together a group of remarkable people and see if they can become something more. So what now?! Bring together some prodigy children and train them up to know nothing different than a life of danger, death and enemies?!" I shouted back, interrupting Fury's sentence. Pepper's hand made it's way up to caress my shoulder blade.

Fury sighed. A heavy one. Exchanged a look with Phil and Maria, he ran a hand over his ever composed face

"It's a cruel act, speaking from a mothers point of view. I'm a reasonable woman, sir, but I simply cannot tolerate the danger you have put my children in. You have already exposed my husband to death on countless occasions. Our children will not be drawn in as slyly as that. Maybe some consent would have angered me less, however the lack of communication antagonised me unbelievably." Pepper quickly strode into what I liked to call her 'power house' mode. It made me love her even more. If that's even possible.

"Pepper-"

"It's Mrs. Stark actually, thank you." Pepper hissed back at Fury. Making everyone snicker under their breaths. She was so dumping him on his ass.

"Oh, Pepper. I love you so much." I muttered with a wink keeping my gaze upon her long enough to catch her smirk.

"Mrs. Stark, they are too young to be recruited as yet and the SHEILD agents are in the process of being removed. It was simply an experiment." Fury stood. Probably for a more superior stance.

"How can it just be an experiment? Next it will be physical examinations, stamina and brain power. I've let you use my husband, Nick. It stops here at our children." Pepper raised eye brows at her speech, even Fury's.

"And I can't tell you how generous I am, Mrs Stark. We were simply interested in what they could achieve. Nothing more than that, no harm done." Fury shot back, narrowing his one visible eye.

Before Pepper could continue, Someone left their chair.

"Remove them. Immediately." Clint seemed to finalize the heated conversation as he left his chair. Natasha snapped something inaudible waltzing out of the room.

Pepper readied herself to leave, giving me the look to stand up myself.

"Keep out of our children's lives. You will not tamper with their well being again." With that from me, we left the shocked board room.

"We'll be okay." I pulled Pepper to me tightly as we walked, Pepper seemed to be unable to gain control of the surfacing tears gracing her cheeks.

_... ... ... ... ... _

_Pepper POV._

_Dammit, I was thinking about it again._

Why did it always make my brain pulse against my skull, a horrible raw overbearing feeling that was too much.

Tony noticed how odd I was acting. Today just happened to be the day I aborted the baby nine years ago.

I shuffled around the house alone busying myself with little chores as Tony kept himself occupied downstairs in the workshop.

The mansion was so cold and empty without Rowan and Evelyn running around and shouting playfully, It wasn't such a nice feeling when they were at school. Thankfully, Tony had made sure the SHEILD agents were long gone before feeling assured about sending the kids back. No one was ever sure what Fury was up to.

"Pepper! I need your feminine petite hands, Get down here." Tony's sudden speech cut through the silence in the house through JARVIS's central intercom system.

"Huh?" I said confused. But still continued to make my way down to him.

Today was one of those days where I couldn't be bothered. I may be Pepper Stark, co-CEO of Stark Industries and somewhat of a style icon but I think I may be entitled to a lazy day in my jet black yoga pants and long sleeved violet t-shirt.

"Hey, what do you need?" I voiced myself into the room.

"You a second. C'mere." Tony reached his hand out behind his back. I grasped it tightly sighing when our warm temperatures met sending a nice shooting sensation through my fingers to the rest of my body.

"I'm not changing your arc reactor again am I? I feel like I still have to disinfect my hands from the pus." I mentally cringed.

"It wasn't pus, it was an interganic plasma discharge, from the device not from my body."

"Right, right." I batted him away as he pressed his lips to my hand.

"So.. I just need you to put your hand into the exposed wire frame and connect the lose wires that keep shorting out." He clearly instructed.

"Like that?"

"Yes, right there, thanks." Tony released my hand after the buzzing noise of the wire indicating it reconnected.

"Will that be all?"

"No, Pepper. That uh-won't be all. I want to talk."


	7. Chapter 7 : Downfall

_A/N: Hope you enjoyed my little quick fire chapters, that'll be all for a few days._

_READ AND REVIEW!_

_X_

_Chapter 7 : Downfall._

_Pepper POV._

"What would you like to talk about?"

"Something's up, you don't seem your normal self. I'm worried about you." Tony said tenderly winding his arm around my waist comfortingly as I stood and he sat.

I sighed as he really didn't realise or remember. It didn't make me hate him at all. Quite the opposite as my heat welled at his compassion, additionally the fact that he noticed something had tampered with my feelings.

"I'm sorry, Tony. I don't mean to worry you, I'm okay." I tried on a convincing smile. He didn't look at all persuaded. I lay my arm across his shoulders.

"I'm allowed to worry Pepper, you're my wife so I'm guessing that entitles me too. Plus you worry about me way too much. Please tell me," Tony tugged on my arm until I fell into his lap hopelessly. "Fess up, Stark. You're not dying are you?" Tony nudged my cheek with his nose. I gave into laughing a little at his affection and banter.

"Excuse me, you Mr. Stark are the one who has a track record for not telling me you were dying."

"Aw; C'mon Pepper! That was a while ago! I thought we partly forgot about that?" Tony groaned.

"Never 'gonna forget. It's just- You know before we were married?" I muttered. Tony nodded for me to go on.

"Oh god, well um." I sighed defeated struggling to say the words, "It's just that- it's 9 years ago today that I aborted the baby, our baby."

"Oh." Tony pursed his lips just as the tears began to sting at my nose I forced myself to bite them back.

"It's okay though." I said patting his chest then beginning to stand up.

"Hey, hey. If you need to talk, don't bottle it up. That's what you tell me. I'm sorry, Pepper." Tony reached me a moment before I had the chance to escape to cry in private feeling a choke tighten in my throat.

"Tony." I wept as he spun me around. My limp stance responding to his hands moving me around to face him. His expression was scared, either the fact I was crying or the reason I was upset.

Tony's attitude made me choke out more dry sobs, he was so caring and loving.

"I'm sorry. Sorry I didn't remember, that your feeling like this." His hands caressed my cheeks grinning when my own hands clutched at his wrists. His pained face disappeared from my sight when he pulled me in so my face buried in his chest and my fingers clawed themselves up to his shoulder blades clutching tightly.

We stayed like that for a while, with the little comforting addition of Tony's swaying and soothing words.

I had hardly expected him to bend down and scoop me up, my legs latched firmly around his hips and menovered us to the grey couch in the corner of the workshop.

"I'm sorry I broke down like that." I gasped after a few more minuets placing my hands either side of the arc reactor heaving myself away from the salty tear stain gracing his shirt.

"Pepper, never be sorry for anything. I love you and I'm here for you."

_... ... ... ..._

_Tony POV._

"Go crazy, kids. Not too crazy though your mom's got a headache." I almost yelled over their constant chatter about gossip around school probably as I kicked the front door shut behind me.

Pepper didn't really have a headache, she just felt like crap because of this particular anniversary so to speak.

Pepper had curled herself up on the living rooms couch after a little protest about who should pick the kids up.

"Hey mom." I heard them both say as they walked on through.

As I entered through the doorway, Evelyn wandered off toward the grand piano on the circular platform beside the fireplace. Still ever so determined to continue practicing after she heard me playing out a melody one afternoon a few years ago. I had to admit, Evelyn was pretty good already. I vaguely remembered how long it took to play the piano with patience while my mom taught me without wanting to tear the keyboard's keys out by their hinges and throw them in every direction.

Rowan joined her for a second only to be a menace and bang on the keys when he though necessary.

"Rowan!" Evelyn pushed him away lightly," Go away!"

Rowan frowned at his sister.

"Daddy! Can we go down stairs and fix the cars?" Rowan came tugging at my sleeve.

"In bit, okay?" I heaved him up onto my lap.

"We'd have three kids by now." Pepper muttered solemnly running her hand through Rowan's hair to which her eyes were glued to.

"Don't think like that, Pepper." I muttered careful of Rowan's hearing.

"Don't you ever stop, think about what could have been?" Pepper asked me.

"Yes. And then no. If we had that baby we sure as hell wouldn't have Evelyn."

"True. But we could have had two girls and a boy. Two boys and a girl." She hummed.

"You can't beat yourself up about it. It wasn't meant to be, Pepper."

"He or she would have been nine." Pepper heaved out a sigh. Though no sign of moisture threatening to spill over touched her eyes.

"I know. But look at what we have now. This is defiantly more than I deserve."

_... ... ... ... ... ... ..._

_(Evelyn 10 & Rowan 8.)_

_Pepper POV._

Oh, those kids. I should have expected this, children are curious by nature how could I have not seen this coming?

A part of me felt bad, that we hadn't told them the whole story sooner. But today was the day Rowan and Evelyn started to question me about Tony's arc reactor.

It was a day where Tony had gone reluctantly to the office on a Sunday and I had to take both the kids down town Malibu for some shopping. Well, more like I had forced Tony to go knowing there was a stack of documents that needed his signature.

Firstly, as I was driving, there was the usual scrabble of who got to sit in the front seat.

"I shot gun! Rowan! I said I shot gun the front seat, c'mon move!" Evelyn ran down the workshop stairs beating Rowan there.

"What the hell, Evelyn! Mom! I want my own code!" Rowan yelled stomping back up the stairs to meet me.

"You have hand recognition, you don't need a code yet what's the point?" I sighed, leading him back down again to see Evelyn had already scanned her hand and was now sat in the front seat of the Audi.

"'Cause!" Rowan scoffed yanking one of the back doors open and getting comfortable in the back seat.

When I opened my door the conversation Evelyn had been immersed in with Rowan ended just as quickly at the sound of my door opening. They both snapped back into their previous positions.

"No need to stop on my account." I laughed at their suspicious expressions.

"No, no. It's fine, mom." Evelyn smiled.

"We were just... Yeah." Rowan added.

Traffic was starting to block up the freeway, against my complaints.

Both Rowan and Evelyn were too quiet, usually our car conversations were just filled with random laughs and topics of chatter.

"You two are too quiet, one of you spill." I said narrow eyed as the car remained stationary on the free way. I looked around at the both of them.

Rowan sighed heavily.

"I told you she'd find out."

"Well, you ask!" Evelyn cried at her brother whipping around so she gained eye contact with him.

"I'm not. You said you would!"

"I did not!" Rowan whisper-spat back.

"Fine, whatever. I'll say it," Evelyn huffed crossing her arms and facing me again, "Mom?"

"Yes?"

"We were just wondering how dad-um-."

"-Got his arc reactor?" Rowan finished exasperatedly.

"Way to play it smooth, Rowan." The sound of Evelyn's eyes roll almost filled the car.

They stunned me to silence. My mouth gaped.

"W-what?" I stuttered.

"It's just that dad never talks about it." Evelyn said confidently. Brows knitting together.

"He never talks about it, we feel like everybody knows except us." Rowan said.

"I thought he told you?" I looked to both of them.

Rowan snorted.

"What, that it happed years ago, before you were married, before us, blah blah blah."

"If I'm being honest, it was all very sketchy. He told us minor details." Evelyn added.

I knew Tony hadn't really told them. It wasn't the fact that they had wanted to know, more the fact Evelyn and Rowan had sprang it on me totally unprepared.

It also slightly saddened me how they were wary of asking Tony rather than going through me.

"Why don't you ask you're dad? Are you scared as to what he will say?"

"We might like- shock him? He knows we know what the arc reactor does." Evelyn said.

"Keeps him alive and serves as a handy flash light." Rowan laughed from the back breaking the tension slightly.

"I'll speak to him, shall I?" I smiled still attempting to lighten the mood.

"Yeah, thanks, We can discuss it over dinner. Nice family subject isn't it?" Rowan rolled his eyes.

_... ... ... ..._

_Pepper POV. _

Darkness had fallen along Malibu's coast line, the beautiful moonlight projecting across the cliff side and through the house mixing gently with the yellow artificial light of the mansion still managing somehow to get through the slightly tinted windows.

Slivery glimmers swept across the sea adding to my quiet evening. Light tinkers across the pianos keys framing the slight murmur of noises from the TV.

All I could do was repetitively sigh into my coffee and Vogue magazine.

That conversation I had with them earlier constantly replaying in my head. The looks of bewilderment plastering their faces.

As much as he probably fears the prospect of telling them the truth it had to be done, no matter what.

Twenty five minuets later, Tony came traipsing into the kitchen using the back glass door entering the house he stifled a yawn after taking a sip of his apparent evidence of stopping by a Burger King on his way home; a take away cup half full of a dark liquid, a coke probably. The ice cubes making that dull clashing mixed with a rustling kind of sound as they whirled around the cup.

"Hey." He greeted ducking down to kiss my head as I squeezed his side affectionately. Bourbon eyes meeting mine.

"Hi, long day?"

"Ugh, yes. Too long I don't know how you do it ,Pepper." I chuckled at his remark.

"I'm 'gonna go shower and change, be back in a second." Tony said shrugging his suit coat off and disappearing from sight.

I grinned when I heard him pause in the living room to have a quick chat with Evelyn and Rowan.

He came back into the kitchen not too long after.

"So yeah, long day, In the office for half of it and then I get an 'emergency call' downstairs on the technicians floor," He was sure to put exaggerated quotation marks around 'emergency call', "Complaining about how they couldn't quite compact a certain missile for the army's top secret and only order, It was ridiculous. All I hear is 'I'm so sorry, Mr. Stark but that isn't quite possible' and that's an obscene remark to make to the guy who designed and made about 95.5% of this order AND miniaturised arc reactor technology!"

He ranted about this while bustling around me prepping a coffee. Yawning again.

I replied.

"As long as you didn't go too crazy. Did you sign those documents?"

"Yep, each one. All waiting on your desk for approval... Anyway, how was your day?" Tony joined me across the table.

"I need to talk to you about that actually." I said biting my lip.

"Sure, go ahead."

"They're on to us-"

"On to us how?"

"Well, on to you more like. In the car today, they started bombarding me with questions. They want to know ,Tony. Curiosity is too over powering here."

"Nothing's happened has it? What's happened, Pepper?" Tony was beginning to look increasingly worried.

"Nothing like that. They want to know. About that." I kept contact with his eyes letting my arm lean forwards until my fingertips produced a muted thud on the arc reactor. It's blue glow climbing up my finger tips and climbing up the skin of my bare arm.

"Oh."


	8. Chapter 8 : Survival Story

_A/N; Hiya! Sorry I didnt upload yesterday I've been over loaded with that thing called life! But hey, I made it to my laptop tonight!_

_Anyway; I'VE PRE-BOOKED MINE AND MY BESTFRIENDS TICKETS FOR IRON MAN 3! *SCREAMS* _

_Hope you like this chapter :-) REVIEWS PLEASES MY REVIEW MONSTER!_

_x_

_C__hapter 8 : Survival Story._

_Just A Little Refresh; _

_"Nothing's happened has it? What's happened, Pepper?" Tony was beginning to look increasingly worried._

_"Nothing like that. They want to know. About that." I kept contact with his eyes letting my arm lean forwards until my fingertips produced a muted thud on the arc reactor. It's blue glow climbing up my finger tips and climbing up the skin of my bare arm._

_"Oh."_

_... ... ... ... _

_Pepper POV._

His eyes slowly travelled down to where my fingertips continued to lay, he breathed a heavy sigh through his nose. Tony incoherently mumbled something that sounded a lot like 'I knew they would soon' with a pained expression. His hand covered mine, the both of us tenderly touching his heart through the hunk of metal imbedded in the way.

I would never know how being told that your children want to know about the time you were tortured in a damp, cold cave secluded in the mountains of the Kunar Province, Afghanistan.

I could only imagine how heart-wrenching it must feel. The inability to put into words overcame him as his free hand attempted to smooth out the frown lines appearing on his forehead.

"I've been stupid enough to draw this out, 'course they would start asking me about Afghan." He covered his eyes for a brief second.

"It's okay, y'know." I whispered.

Caressing his cheek in my hand my palm resting at the highest point of his neatly trimmed signature goatee, fingertips gently lingering over his perfectly defined cheekbone, he leaned into my loving touch humming in content. Knowing I could do just about anything to make him weak at the knees I had to ignore the temptation in order for me to carry on talking.

"I'll be there with you if you like."

"No, I appreciate it, Pepper. Really I do," His head turned to kiss my palm still caressing his cheek, "I feel I need to do this on my own."

"Good, not good but... Good. You can do this."

"What I really don't want is for them to think differently of me." Tony confessed.

"Don't think that, not even for a second," I lightly scolded not enough to ruin this little moment but enough for him to crack a smile.

"You can do this, Tony."

As he leaned across the table to gently press his lips to mine a very familiar surging tide of warmth that always happened to leave me limp erupted in my chest spreading out to every far corner of my body. This kiss wasn't like our first the dire need we had both felt to release ten years of sexual attraction, innuendos and taking out the blonde, falsified, hair extensioned, false eyelash wearing 'trash'. This was different. In all ways I struggled to describe.

_... ... ... ... ..._

_Tony POV._

There was no flexible way around this. So either it was going to be a situation where I least expect them to spring it on me, or a moment in which I take control.

I pick the second one. Hands down.

Pepper was out for the evening with Natasha giving me the perfect time frame.

What I couldn't believe was how stupid and ashamed I felt almost to the point of nausea, I knew exactly why this topic had been brought up.

Evelyn and Rowan wanted- no needed to know the truth, how could I blame them for that?

They knew bits of the story like Rhodey found me, It happened a long time ago, It was in a cave, Pepper usually referred to it as an accident and I walked away with an arc reactor. I've always been very sketchy on it I knew I shouldn't of been, but they're young. How the hell are they going to take this?

I kept a sneaky eye on them after we debated movie choices and actually got round to ordering Chinese that night, duly noting looks the gave one another when an Avengers featurette on the news interrupted the movie we were watching.

"What was that look for?" I laughed getting up to find a credit card as the door bell had just rang by the delivery boy, I expected.

"Nothing." Evelyn covered innocently.

"Just cringing at Steve and how he always has time to do forward rolls on a mission with people handling guns... Usually trying to kill him.." Rowan shook his head.

"Steve is Captain America, Rowan. I think he's entitled to do what he wants." Evelyn remarked getting more comfortable on the cushion of the couch, shoving Rowan out of the way in the process.

When I disappeared through the door way, muttering and exasperated whispers ensued.

"How are we going to ask him now?!" I heard from Evelyn, even of the sound of my collecting, paying and unpacking of the white Chinese takeaway bag their voices were still loud to me.

"Just do it." Rowan sighed, his voice coming closer.

"How am I supposed to know how he's going to react?!" Evelyn hissed.

They both came visible in the kitchen.

"Everything okay?" I smirked liking the dramatic irony of the situation.

"Yep. Never better." Rowan answered too fast. He spun to collect cutlery.

"Your both acting... Weird."

"No, I don't see how that's so." Evelyn grinned setting the plates down. That was such a Pepper moment.

"One of you spill, your killing me here." I actually laughed. After a whole twenty five minuets of sly looks when they thought I wasn't looking.

On cue, Evelyn and Rowan both whipped around to meet my amused gaze.

"What?" They both said at the same time. The couple of them looking astounded I had cracked them.

"I know you want to ask me something."

"Ask you what?" Evelyn asked still confused.

"You know what, your mom told me yesterday."

"Oh. That." Rowan muttered before a silence fell into the room. I think they were genuinely wary of what my response would be.

I observed how guilty they looked stealing sideways glances at me and at each other.

"We didn't wanna impose, dad." Rowan spoke up finally meeting my eye contact.

I sighed setting my plate down on the coffee table my elbows folded finding a resting place on my knees as I leaned forwards in anticipation.

"Why are you scared to ask? It's okay to be curious. I don't blame you." I tried to lighten the mood with a smile.

"Your reaction, I guess." Rowan mumbled downwards playing with his hands settled in his lap.

"Can't you see I don't have one, Rowan. You're entitled to know. Please don't be afraid to ask me anything. I know what it's like to grow up with a rubbish father and I can promise you now I'm never 'gonna be that. Or at least I'm trying not to be." I confessed, moving myself from the recliner to join them on the couch.

My body language was open and confident as I semi-faced them, Rowan was closest, almost tucked under my arm currently draped across the back of the sofa reaching out to fiddle with the tips of Evelyn's hair.

"Your great. And we understand, Rowan and I, why you must be reserved about it." Evelyn said, stretching her hand out to muss up her brothers hair playfully.

"But we just need to know. It's like everybody knows but us." Rowan added leaning into me. He averted his eyes to the ever prominent glow now more noticeable than ever given off by the arc reactor.

"I know, I'm sorry I've made you feel that way. You guys are the most important people in my life, along with your mom. What you need to understand is you can come to me with whatever problems or questions you have. Don't feel bad or guilty, I'm always 'gonna be here for you."

My heart swelled in my chest feeling as if it pressed against the arc reactor making its whirling noise a little louder. They both looked so happy at what I had said, most of all relieved.

"So what now?" Evelyn asked after a moments silence of pure appreciation at the company we shared, no interruptions. It was perfect. Words were exchanged to comprehend one another, unlike my childhood that consisted harsh threats and actions from my father, my tears only to be lessened by my mothers loving hand.

"I thought we were doing question and answer time?" I chuckled into Rowan's hair. I kissed the top of his head tenderly.

"Sure? We don't want to upset you."

"Rowan, what happened to me over there was no accident and achieves in upsetting me everyday, the arc reactor is a constant reminder. So ask away."

"It comes out, doesn't it?" Rowan whispered. Still looking at the arc reactor. His eyes flickered between mine and my chest.

"You know it does." I menovered under my t-shirt to unclick and pull it out for observation.

"It keeps you alive right?" Evelyn asked timidly, looking worried.

"Yeah it does, honey."

"So why do you need it exactly?" She asked again, all of us looking to the arc reactor rotating in Rowan's grasp.

"In Afghanistan, the weapons presentation I was giving, after that I was in a hum-vee being taken back to base. Shootings started and the young American soldiers were forced to fight back to protect me. Bullets suddenly punctured through the hum-vee giving me no other option but to get out. There was explosions everywhere, every direction throwing me off balance a bomb landed uh- a foot away from me. It exploded and shrapnel imbedded in my chest." For the first time I thought I could tell my story of survival.

"Did you get saved?" Rowan asked. Rubbing off a sudden apparent irritant in his abdomen.

"Yes and no. I was captured by a terrorist group called the Ten Rings. I spent three months there sharing a cave hidden way up in the mountains ensuring no one, not even the US government could track down my where abouts. I was imprisoned in a cave with another man called Yinsen who was a doctor. He was the one to remove as much shrapnel as he could and effectively save my life. I adapted this device," I took the arc reactor back from Rowan (who flinched in pain but brushed it off again) , hooking my t-shirt in-between my teeth showing the unpleasant image of a sterling silver cylinder half way buried in my chest. Nothing was visible except the reactor wall and shiny metal sides. It clicked satisfyingly back into place powering back up with it's familiar blue luminosity. "From the antique version I previously had for my stay in captivity. Only an electromagnet hooked up to a car battery."

My t-shirt flopped down again. Neither of them looked frightened nor disturbed. I wasn't totally convinced if this shocked me or met my expectations.

"Who's Yanson?" Rowan furrowed his brows.

"_Yinsen _was a doctor also being held captive by the terrorist group we shared the cell or rather a cave. Yinsen removed as much of the shrapnel as he could and there's still a lot left in some major arteries. My condition was critical by the time I was taken there I was frequently in an out of consciousness mainly due to the heat, lack of water and injuries. Yinsen saved my life. I wish I could tell you more, all I have is blotches of murky blackness. He was an irreplaceable man as he sadly died helping me escape."

"So if you didn't have it...?" Evelyn seemed nervous for my answer.

"I'd become ill... And die. That will never happen though, the arc reactor keeps the shrapnel away from my heart."

"Okay." Rowan processed this. "How did you escape? Is this where Mark I comes in?"

"You bet, kiddo. The Ten Rings leader wanted me to make him a Jericho missile. Naturally I refused. But after some torture I forced myself to agree. They supplied me with all of the right equipment, materials and working space, what they didn't know I was building something else-"

"Mark I?" Evelyn nipped in, eyes glinted with excitement.

"Yes, Mark I. Now, I know you've both laughed at it and called it ridiculous on so many occasions, but it flew me far enough to crash in the Afghanistan desert."

"But it still crashed! And Uncle Rhodey saved you?" Rowan cross-examined.

"Yeah, I wondered in the desert for what I think was a day in the blistering heat quickly becoming dehydrated. All I can remember is that I've never been so happy to hear the sound of chopper blades."

"And that's how you became Iron Man?"

"That's how I became Iron Man, Evelyn. To protect the people terrorist groups set their sights on-"

"I'm home!" Pepper's voice called through the house loudly, snapping the three of us out of the in depth conversation we were having. "Oh, I'm interrupting aren't I? Sorry." Pepper cringed.

"No, no. We're just about done here. Satisfied now? Cool, up to bed. If you think of any more questions let me know." I nudged them up. Laughing at their protests.

When Rowan began to heave himself from the couch, he staggered back down. A sharp intake of breath and hands clutching at his stomach. I noticed how sheet white he suddenly looked.

"Are you okay, honey?" Pepper rushed over rubbing his back.

"Yeah-I uh. Yeah, fine." he answered the pain seeming to have subsided to Rowan's relief.


	9. Chapter 9 : Appendicitis

A/N ; Shortest chapter in the world! I'm sorry I'll update again in a few days to make up for it!

Anyways, first chapter in Rowan's POv , I had fun writing it and I hope yall enjoy it :-) In other news ; I picked up my tickets for Iron Man 3 on the weekend! VIP seats and in 3D c'mon Downey strip!

Don't call me weird I already know this!

& Thankyou to my lovely readers and reviewers! Love you all! READ AND REVIEW FOR LITTLE ROWAN! SO HE CAN GET BETTER!

Ooooh and little dedication to 'socalmaggot' for having legnthy chats with me, we're educating eachother in English and American culture! I'm so jealous of where she lives...

xx

_**Chapter 9 : Appendicitis.**_

_**Rowan POV.**_

Oh my god, what was wrong with me, seriously?! Why was I feeling like this?

JARVIS permanently displayed the time up on the window after so many complaints of wanting to know the time from me. It read 12:47 AM.

I couldn't even find the courage to find the light switch in the depths of darkness that you could call my room.

My body contorted writhing in the excruciating pain in between the sheets. An agonizing pain, totally indescribable, had now settled itself at my side after a few hours of on and off pain it had slowly moved more off-centre until reaching my side.

Just as I thought the pain had subsided, it left a nasty sickly feeling- Oh wait, I'm 'gonna throw up!

I sprinted as fast as I possibly could (mentally cussing mom and dad for giving the bedroom with the en suit to Evelyn) to reach the bathroom one of the rooms in between Evelyn's and mom and dad's room. I could of cared less in response of how loud I slammed the door behind me making something fall off of a shelf, but it's hard to run when you feel like you have a brick lodged in your side and you know your 'gonna puke.

The pain was nearing on unbearable as I buckled down on my knees and spilled up the contents of my stomach into the toilet bowl, really loudly. My gags breaking the silence of the night along with a nostril flaring splash. Oh, how disgusting. I really, really shouldn't have eaten Chinese.

I wanted to die, hands down the worst pain I have ever been in, my body had a mind of it's own protesting even more. My now dry gags seemed to echo off of the tiled walls.

Sweat soaked through my t-shirt, matting my hair.

"Ow, ow, ow!" I never cried and I was nearly crying now. Someone stop this pain?!

All I could think about was the ballooning area next to my hip and the way my skin burned against my sweat-slicked palm. Then, the swelled area screamed in protest from the pressure of my hand on it even though I pressed it lightly.

God, the pain returned again. Leaving me crashing down in weakness, my head hit the edge of the bathtub adding to the aggravation and noise as it send a huge _THUMP_ from the room. I groaned over and over, trying not to move much yet my hands clutched at the burning up skin on my abdomen.

I swear, if Evelyn complains that she got woken up. I'm 'gonna tell her where to go. Denying myself movement wouldn't ward off the pain but still there was nothing I could do but curl up clutching my side and shiver through the chills despite my raging fever. The sweat almost quite literally dripped off the tip of my nose.

The whinging and groaning continued until I heard footsteps.

"What the hell are you doing?" Evelyn stepped in yawning. Her eyes shot open as I managed to heave myself up again emptying more remains in my stomach into the toilet, how could there be more?!

"Jesus Christ, your sweating like a pig!"

"Shu'up," I mumbled. Rocking in place, my forehead against the cool china of the toilet bowl, "Jus' go to bed."

"Well I'm up now, what's wrong? Why are you holding your side like that?" Evelyn passed me down a drink. She could be such a nice sister sometimes. _Sometimes_.

Evelyn kneeled down beside me ripping some tissue from the roll wiping around my mouth mothering, next reaching behind her for a fluffy towel she used to mop my forehead.

"My side hurts like hell."

"What you mean? Let's look- It's all puffy!" She exclaimed pressing her fingers lightly to my exposed side while her other had held up my t-shirt.

"Ow, Evs! That hurts!" I batted her hand away.

"Alright, alright! I'm only trying to help! This doesn't look to good, I'm gonna' get mom or dad. It could be like... Appendicitis!" Evelyn scrambled to her feet ignoring my pleas not to leave.

Around five horrible pain staking minuets later, Evelyn returned with not only mom, but dad too.

"I'm telling you, it's appendicitis." Evelyn spoke first. Mom quickly flushed the toilet, although there wasn't really a lot point. I threw up again spluttering around missed breaths.

"Let's see shall we, honey? Oh, buddy. What's up?" Dad scooted in behind me letting me lean on him, his soothing touch made me feel a little better as his hand ran up an down my spine. His hand pushed back the hair on my forehead to measure my temperature.

"I told you! Poke his side!" Evelyn sighed sitting on the side of the bath tub.

"Can I have a look, Rowan?" Mom asked. It was a little hard to hear over my pants. I nodded starting to reach a shaky hand down to my t-shirt.

"Mom, it hurts really bad. Make it stop." I was almost weeping against my dad's neck.

"I know, I know. I won't prod you anymore. I'm sorry, sweetie." Mom rubbed my arms, a hand floating up to my forehead. She sounded a little panicky.

"He's burning up and sweating like he's just been in the shower, Pepper." Dad's voice came from behind me, he sounded scared through his attempted cover up to remain a calm atmosphere.

"We should take him to hospital. Just in case. He's all swelled up around there, it may be appendicitis."

"Right," At the moment, dads unwelcome grip came under my arms jostling me a little (my cry in response told him that.) "Sorry! Just hang on in there, buddy."

Before I could kick up too much of a fuss, a whimpering howl of pain let rip from my chest, my fingers clawing at anything I could clench, this time it just happened to be dad's shoulder. Apologizing at his jostling when he descended the stairs.

A lot of the next ten minuets was all a blur, the car ride. I remember sitting in the back with mom (Evelyn was in the front) and her yelling for dad to pull over when I began to gag into the bucket beside me.

"That's it, we'll be there in a minuet. Here have a drink, your doing really well. Tony drive." Mom rubbed my back as I fell back gasping from throwing up only liquids.

"I can't. It hurts too much." I pleaded, still gasping.

"We're going to get you seen to. Just hold on, darling."

Next thing, the car stopped again dad had apparently raced around the car pulling me up into his hold.

"God, gentler!"

"I'm sorry, sorry!"

Seeing as this was an emergency, there was no waiting around only racing around.

At high speed I was booked in and ready for theatre. If I'm honest, I was so scared. My surgeon explained everything and even allowed a family member to come in with me before I got put out.

"Dad?"

"Yeah, buddy?"

"Come in with me?"

"Of course. Hey, don't be scared. You'll wake up in a few hours, all the pain will be gone and we'll be here." Dad pushed the dampened hair back from my forehead, placing a kiss there.

_... ... ... ... ..._

_Tony POV._

How can you even put into words what it feels like to see your child in excruciating pain?

You can't, it's impossible.

I held his hand all the way down the hall. It was quiet.

One of Rowan's hands, still clammy, held his side tightly the other clutched mine.

I knew what was happening and that it was for the better but still I had the sweep of protectiveness stayed within me as I kept reassuring my son until we were in the daunting theatre room, the surgeons were busy scrubbing up.

"Hi, Rowan," The head surgeon of the procedure stood on the other side of the bed, "I know this is the first operation you've had and this is all very daunting, but please don't be scared. It's a very simple procedure and I do it all the time, all that will happen is your burst appendix will be removed. So when you wake up the painful bit will be gone so you'll be feeling a lot better. Any questions?"

"Will I wake up? Like, during it?"

"No, no. We're going to put you out with gas and some injections once your unconscious, and these machines will tell us any signs that the aesthetic is wearing off. When you wake up, you'll feel groggy but that's totally normal to feel confused and tired, okay? You may even be sick, so don't be alarmed if you do throw up. You ready?" The surgeon picked up the mask, reassuring Rowan with a smile.

"Yeah, I think so." Rowan's grip became tighter.

"I'm going to put this mask on you, just count back from ten until you fall asleep."

The surgeon placed the mask over Rowan's mouth and nose.

"I'll see you in a few hours." I kissed Rowan's forehead again, lazy eyes glancing up at me.

"...8...7- And we're out, Thank you Mr. Stark I will come and find you in a few hours when we've taken him to the recovery ward." With that he ushered me out leaving the image of Rowan's motionless body fresh in my mind, limbs relaxed a steady rise and fall of his chest indicating his unconsciousness.


	10. Chapter 10 : Recovery

_A/N: Heya, this is a kind of peace offering to those who though Chapter 9 was too short, I'll apologize again because I had no idea it was going to be that short :-( I'm sorry!_

_This is the familiar character return I was talking about.._

_REVIEW IF YOU WANT A NEW CHAPTER SOON! _

_Chapter 10 : Recovery._

_Tony POV._

Finding Pepper was easy she sat with Evelyn in Rowan's awaiting private recovery room.

Evelyn had fallen asleep on Pepper, both seated on cushioned chairs.

Pepper's head snapped up at the sound of the door clicking open, I whispered 'hi' quietly as she continued her light motions through Evelyn's hair.

"Is he okay?" Pepper muttered her eyes a little puffy from a combination of not a lot of sleep and tears.

"He will be, poor kid. Went out like a light with the anaesthetic." I sighed tiredly sitting next to her.

"I want him to be okay, Tony. All that we've been through with Rowan. I need him to get through this." Pepper hugged me tight with her free arm, a small sob escaping her chest.

"So do I, Rowan's a strong kid. Our hard as nails, capable, tenacious young man. Some how. He is all of those things, that's how Rowan is going to get through this. In a few hours he'll be awake and out of pain, probably ordering us around for a cup of tea." I held Pepper to me needing her in this moments as much as she longed for my touch.

"When he was a baby, born when I was only 7 months pregnant as well as not hearing him cry for five horrible minuets I can't face terror like that again. I thought we were 'gonna loose him, I can't bear anything happening to either of them." I noticed how Pepper pulled Evelyn subtly closer to her. Her voice pain-stricken.

"Why don't I call, Happy? We should go, get Evelyn home so she can sleep. You need some sleep too Pepper." I ran my fingers through her hair tentatively.

"No. I'd rather stay." Pepper refused, I loved the way she cared for the kids so much but sometimes you just needed to steer her in the right direction to make her see sense.

"For Evs. C'mon there's no point staying, we can get some stuff for Rowan." Rubbing her arm to create some comforting warmth, she nodded.

I was way too tired to drive without killing anyone so calling Happy seemed like a good option, when Happy answered the phone he sounded sprightly like he'd never been to sleep, when I asked if he minded he insisted it was his duty.

Happy was such a brilliant employee and friend. Whenever I called him, he always seemed one step ahead of me. Like now for instance:

"Mr. Stark, it's fine. I'm starting up the car now. Hope the little man will be okay. See you in ten."

After I convinced Pepper to stay at home with Evelyn, who was still a little alarmed at this mornings events, I gulped down around two energy drinks and three coffee's waiting until I felt awake enough for Happy to take me back up.

Pepper took Evelyn back up to bed in attempt to calm her down and reassure her Rowan was going to be okay, sometimes this happens mainly in children, all that was needed to do to resolve the pain was to remove the appendix.

Pepper fell asleep before I left on the couch comforted by the hum or murmur of voices from the TV.

_... ... ... ... ..._

"Mr. Stark, just in time!" The surgeon greeted me warmly pulling my franticly lost disposition back into reality.

The surgeon with a small team of nurses were wheeling the hospital bed in which Rowan lay unconscious on to his private room.

"How is he?" I trailed beside. Glimpsing at Rowan his face was relaxed, a breathing tube keeping a steady flow of oxygen into his lungs. The rise and fall of his chest sluggish enough to convince someone he was just having a good nights sleep.

"Absolutely fine, the surgery went swimmingly. We successfully removed the burst appendix and sterilized the offending area to protect against infections although I will be keeping him under observation for at least a week with prescriptions of anti-biotics just to make sure he doesn't contract any infections due to the fact that his appendix burst before surgery, Rowan is perfectly fine and will be awake in oh-forty five minuets to an hour." He assured me, checking Rowan's stats once we were in the room. Low lighting casting a calming glow.

"Okay. Good. Thank you." I stifled a yawn pulling up a chair beside Rowan leaning against the bed frame.

"Be gentle when he wakes up. So be sure to explain what's happened and where he is. Rowan will be confused, groggy and could be nauseous so be prepared if he throws up. Call for me when he wakes up."

I nodded understandably being sure to take in all of that information. The sleepy side of my brain taking over the rest of my body screaming sleep.

I spent the next hour or so never once removing my gaze from Rowan's unconscious form. My fingers making the same repetitive movement ; skimming the rim of the card coffee cup.

My eyes must have been resting for a while until I detected some movement in front of me. A second later, shallower breaths added to the quiet beeping of the monitor.

Rowan's hands started to twitch and move for a few minuets trying to comprehend everything at once.

His hand slowly inched upwards to pull off the oxygen mask unsettling him.

"Hey, hey. Hold on a second there." I whispered, taking his hand away to hold it in mine.

I moved to sit on the edge of the bed. It wasn't too long for some more movement to kick in as Rowan let out a croaky "Mmm" in complaint and his eyes flickered in the dim lighting.

Rowan's eyes fully opened looking as exhausted as me almost and as if he had spent all early hours of the morning battling a ruptured appendix, throwing his guts up and going into surgery all in a matter of stressful hours, which he had done.

Rowan's gaze seemed to wonder before settling on me.

"How you feeling, tiger?" I whispered running my fingers through his mussed up hair really gently as he came to terms with what was going on.

"Tired." Rowan croaked back.

"You're 'gonna, I'd be worried if you weren't. Relax you've just had your appendix taken out. The pain is gone, yeah? Do you feel sick?" I couldn't help but to go into this protective kind of state like it was second nature to me.

"No. Jus'a bit sore" He sighed slurring his words a little. Rowan's hand dropped down to nudge his side only when he did a whimper came through his lips. He didn't really look 'all there' at the minuet so I went into more explanation to test whether he knew what had happened.

"Do you remember what happened?" The way he looked up at me broke my shrapnel imbedded, palladium poison free heart break, the utter expression on Rowan's face. Still semi unconscious, slightly pained confused expression.

"Operation." Rowan sighed his eyes drooping shut only to reverse again.

"Ah, Rowan. Welcome back." The doctor strolled back in obviously being sure to announce himself quietly. Speedily checking Rowan's vitals before gently talking to him from the side of the bed.

"Rowan, do you feel sick or dizzy?... Just tired and groggy?... Okay good. And how's the pain on a scale of 1 to 10?" He asked glancing at the monitor after doing the routine 'follow the pen light' thing.

"About... 5.5." Rowan replied a few seconds later earning a quiet chuckle from both the doctor and I.

"Right, we'll get rid of that and bump up the morphine for you. Just try to sleep off the grogginess, I'll come and check on you later." Before the doctor left, Rowan had already fallen asleep again.

I spent all night with my son until the sun came up, holding his hand carefully almost like I was scared to cause him any further discomfort.

Every few hours he tended to wake up dazed. I rubbed his hand in between both of mine until Rowan was fully awake.

"Hi, Rory." He smirked at my little nickname for him.

"Hey, have you been there all night?" Rowan yawned deeply.

"Yeah, yeah I have. Don't pull a stunt like that again, kid. I think you've shaved a good ten years off of my life just from that and the time you were born." Saying this I couldn't help but chuckle just from the sheer relief he was okay.

"Sorry about that, I'd apologise about the other time but I can't really remember, weirdly." Rowan breathed a laugh trying to sit up.

"You were being impatient and came two months early. Mom came in last night, I don't think you were all there to remember it."

"No... I don't remember that. Was I awake?" Rowan asked puzzled.

"Just doused up but mainly in and out. I'm really sorry, I think I'm going to have to get going. Will you be okay, Ro?" I noted his disappointed expression before he recovered it with a smile.

"Yeah, yeah fine. I'll be fine." He waved me off, smiling when I ducked down to kiss the top of his head, keeping him in my hold for a while.

"Uh.. Dad? You were going?"

"Right, sorry. Bye, feel better, kiddo!"

_... ... ... ..._

_Rowan POV._

I was so bored. Hospital is boring. IV's are nasty. At least I was in my own clothes of burgundy sweats and a white t-shirt.

These four boring walls were... Well, boring I guess. There was a window... Which I had watched a very intense fight between two squirrels and an acorn, it was a tough call but the grey squirrel won.

Not only have I lost my appendix, I've lost my mind- Ha! See what I did there?!

Yeah, me either.

The nurse came in around half three to check on me, she said I had some visitors.

"Hey, little bro!" Evelyn bounced in the room followed by Uriah and Happy. I believed it now, when dad told me my big sister was worried because she hugged me! They must have just finished school as both Evelyn and Uriah had their school bags.

"Evelyn! Hey, Uriah!"

"Hey, man!"

It was then I had told them about my unusual visitor.

_... ... ... ... ..._

_Evelyn POV._

"Should we tell my mom?" I asked Uriah breaking the comfortable silence.

We were sat in the living room watching Adventure Time by our selves. Happy and mom's PA buzzed around the house for a while, just until mom came home from work.

"Um. Well, yeah. Evelyn, think about it for a second, a guy came into Rowan's hospital room and creeped him out. We'll tell Aunty Pepper." Uriah grabbed a handful of popcorn popping each piece one by one, his tousled black hair slightly over hanging his blue eyes and clear complexion. Although he wasn't all Russian, or had a thick Russian accent, it was obvious he was half his mothers nationality, as a kid Uriah spent a few years in Russia including the three years when he was a baby. So this meant he had a lingering Russian accent I always thought was really awesome.

Uriah had to stay at our mansion in Malibu, Happy had left us with the message when he picked us up from school that The Avengers including Uncle Clint, Aunty Natasha and Dad had to go away on a mission.

Usually when ever this happened Mom let Uriah sleep and stay at ours, otherwise he had no one to look after him. Not that I minded, Uriah was my best friend. We talked about everything and spent lots of time together anyway so it was fun (despite missing my dad) to have him spend the week or so together.

We had lots of guest rooms at the mansion but mom usually helped us push one of the beds into my huge room then Uriah and I could stay up late watching movies.

"Kids! I'm home!" Mom shouted from the front door, the click of her heels against the marble flooring.

"Hi, Mom!"

"Hey, Aunty Pepper!"

"How was your day at school?" Mom came through the doorway holding a bag of groceries.

"Oh yeah, it was fine-"

"Happy took us to see Rowan and-" Uriah talked over me.

"Hey! Don't interrupt me!" I elbowed him in the ribs.

"I'm sorry, primadonna! I was getting to the point!"

"Oh yeah! Well; mom! As you already know we were visiting Rowan earlier and he told us about his weird visitor!"

"What do you mean weird visitor, Evelyn?" Mom suddenly looked puzzled.

"Rowan didn't even know him, the man scared him a bit apparently. Weird though, wasn't it Uriah? He even told Rowan his name." I carried on vivaciously with the supportive nods from Uriah.

"What was his name?"

"Justin. Justin Hammer, Aunty Pepper."


	11. Chapter 11 :The Unlikeliness of JustinH

_A/N: Hiya :-) This is a little short but I have updated three times this week I think?_

_Can't really think of a lot to say 'cause I'm really tired and watching The Dictator. So I was watching the movie and editing._

_So this chapter is kinda beginning to show the dynamics and relationship between the kids. The Justin Hammer conversation with Rowan is in the next chapter, or the chapter after. I can't really remember. Ha!_

_Oh and ; this is going to go on a lot longer than I thought, the kids ages will change soon and new things will happen ectttt but I'm not revealing anything. If you'd like to suggest some little things then cool, go ahead.. I'm gonna pass out on my bed, night!_

_BE SURE TO REVIEW!_

_Chapter 11 : The Unlikeliness of Justin Hammer._

_Pepper POV._

"What was his name?" My breath caught in my throat responding to my body's maternal instincts screaming : _protect_!

"Justin. Justin Hammer, Aunty Pepper." Came the innocence of Uriah's voice not at all knowing the meaning behind that name.

_"I'll be seeing you again, real soon."_

Justin Hammer threatened me with that all those years ago but still, the image and tone of his voice rang as clear as day in my ears as he way taken away by NYPD.

What was he doing near my-

"Mom, are you okay?" Evelyn's worried voice snapped me back out of Pepper-worrying-mom-land.

"I'm sure its nothing to worry about, a reporter probably thought it would be a good story or something." I false smiled. Neither of them looked convinced.

"Do you know him, Aunty Pepper?" "Tony and I used to know him a while ago, I was just a little surprised he showed up like that. Don't worry about it, now, can you kids do me a favour? Help put the groceries away? Thank you." I ensured both of them believed me and waited until Evelyn and Uriah's chatter had carried itself from the room.

I frantically began digging around in my bag trying to find my Bluetooth. Oh thank god! I think I would have broken something if I had left it at the office. Awkwardly arranging it on my ear I ordered JARVIS at the same time.

"JARVIS, call Tony. Make sure he picks up."

"Will do, Mrs Stark." The AI answered as loyally as always. The phone dialled, beeped and beeped and beeped.

"I am sorry to report Mr. Stark's communication system has been disconnected from the helmet."

"What? What does that mean, JARVIS?!" I frantically cried.

"It means, Mrs. Stark that I am unable to contact Mr. Stark until the helmet is repaired, that could take some time depending on his condition and location."

"Oh my god, Tony you can't of killed yourself now." I threw the Bluetooth on my desk after now entering my office at home.

"If it's any consolation, by reading Mr. Stark's vitals I can report to you his current condition?"

"Mr. Stark's pulse rate suggests he is okay. Although, it is expected he will be spending some time at the Tower in New Mexico."

In the next few minuets I didn't even think. I rushed around in my six inch heels packing bags. We'd have to pick Rowan up on the way. Justin Hammer was out of prison. Probably plotting revenge. He visited my son! The only thing I could think about was going to Tony.

I'm absolutely terrified, I don't feel safe here! Looking after three kids by myself, God knows what Justin would do to reek his revenge he said he'd always get. What if he got into the mansion?!

I'd have to drive myself. The black Bentley was a ludicrous idea, what a way to keep a low profile. Evelyn and Uriah were confused but none the less packed up their stuff.

"But mom, seriously, what's happened? What about Rowan?"

"Evelyn, don't worry honey. We're just going down to meet your dad, Aunty Natasha and Uncle Clint. We're going to pick up Rowan on the way." I ushered them both towards the front door. The private jet was already waiting, I was gladly told this after I called a few minuets ago.

"In New Mexico? Are my mom and dad 'gonna be there?" Uriah asked helping Evelyn collect her things quickly.

"Yes they will be, sweetheart."

_... ... ... ... ..._

_Evelyn POV._

Watching my mom and the doctor squabble was quite funny, a few times Uriah and I exchanged a few smirks and raised eyebrows.

"I need to be assured your son won't develop any infections, Mrs. Stark! Surely you can understand that? Travelling across the country does not sit well with me."

"I can assure you Rowan will be fine, we're travelling down to New Mexico to meet my husband. Where we will be staying a good friend of ours and also a doctor will be staying to. So, I'm asking you sir to step aside and let me take my son," Mom argued back. "Can you both go and help Rowan get sorted, please?" Mom turned to us before things got a little too hot.

"Come on, we're going." Uriah opened the door ahead of me.

"Going? Going where? Is that mom?" Rowan grinned, slowly getting out of the hospital bed.

"To the tower in New Mexico. Dad's been called out on a mission so we're meeting him down there. Yeah, that's mom." I said helping Rowan stuff everything into a bag, then throwing a pair of his sneakers at him.

"Alright, alright! I'm moving, don't need to throw things!" Rowan huffed.

"We need to go!"

"Why? Evs, what's happened?"

"Your mom didn't really say, but we think it's to do with that Justin Hammer. As soon as we mentioned it to your mom, she kind of had this weird look and then told us to pack a bag." Uriah whispered, obviously worried mom might hear, I nodded in agreement.

Once I finished packing his stuff up for him I swung his bag over my shoulder and paused by the door.

"I don't know who he is. But this Justin Hammer guy can't be good news if mom's reacting like this. If she want's to meet dad I totally want to too, I feel safest around him." I stepped over to put my arm around Rowan's shoulders

trying to ease his worried look.

"We can probably get some answers too." Uriah added clapping my little brother on the shoulder.

"Yes! Oh, Barton-Romanoff! We'll eves drop when they think we're not listening!" I gasped as mom opened the door. Uriah rolled his eyes at me.

"No, I didn't mean-"

"Hiya, honey. We're good to go. How are you feeling?"

"Totally normal, mom what's going on-" Rowan waved her off, Uriah and I watched this hushed conversation.

"I'm just a little worried about staying here without your dad. It's okay, he's down in New Mexico. The jet's waiting."

"Is it to do with that man? Who visited me? Hammer? The one who was obsessed with revenge?" Rowan asked a little worriedly.

"Yes." Mom sighed quietly, rubbing her forehead.

"Mom, we should go." I piped up.

_... ... ... ... ..._

_Evelyn POV (Still)._

The plane ride was fairly quick. The three of us (Me, Rowan and Uriah.) got an hours sleep in the bedrooms of the jet.

Before we thought best to go and sleep, Mom was focused on watching the news. I wasn't sure what she was looking for, neither were Rowan or Uriah. But she wasn't very chatty.

Once the jet had landed, mom rushed us through the quiet city looking in every direction as she steered us clear of dark alleys and pubs where randy man wolf whistled at women who walked by.

"Honestly, no respect." Uriah growled, his grip tightening around my shoulders in the bitter coldness. Rowan held my hand. This dark town was pretty scary and I was finally relieved to see the Tower's light.

In the reception of the Avengers Tower mom made us head on upstairs to the main living quarters whilst she chatted to Cynthia the receptionist and an agent.

There was loud chatter coming from the living room.

"Daddy!" I shouted coming out of the lift only to hear dad's confused voice calling out back to me.

"Evelyn?!"

"Daddy!" I called again running over when he saw me. It looked like they just came back from a mission. Dad was still suited up minus the helmet that looked pretty fried and was sparking on the table, from the neck down he was fully suited up. I loved how the red and gold shined under the light. I jumped up at him surprising him.

"What are you doing here, sweetheart?" He kissed my forehead as I felt his metal covered hands hold me onto his hip.

"Uncle Bruce! Hey! The doctor said you need to make sure Rowan doesn't get infected or anything!" I said spotting my Uncle Bruce coming in from the kitchen fiddling with his glasses holding his hands up jokingly to my sudden attack.

"What? Wh- Rowan's here?" Dad was confused now.

"Hi, Dad! My appendix burst, Uncle Bruce." Rowan entered and joined our little family reunion. Uncle Bruce 'ahh'ed' and nodded in understanding.

"Rowan! Wha- Aren't you supposed to be in Malibu, preferably in hospital?!" Dad put me down; pulling the both of us into a hug.

"Mom freaked out." Rowan said.

Uriah had obviously dumped his bag in his room before meeting us in the living room.

"Uriah!" Aunty Natasha sighed happily, she got up to hug him tightly to her chest.

"I missed you, mom."

"Me too, baby. Clint!" Natasha yelled the last bit, still suited up in that impossibly tight black suit. Uncle Clint strolled in, the serious look on his face vanishing with a huge grin.

"What's up, kiddo?" Uncle Clint ruffled Uriah's already messy hair whilst he hugged him.

"Uncle Steve!" I bounced over to him.

"How's my favourite niece?" He hugged me still in his spandexy suit.

"I'm all good, I'm your only niece by the way! How was the mission?"

"I know your are, your still my favourite!" Steve laughed making me giggle, "It went great, made it back quicker than we thought."

Next thing, Mom walked in. A huge breath was released from her chest, her eyes were a little puffy.

"Pepper?" Dad stepped towards her. "Why don't you kids go and unpack or whatever in your rooms?"

"Yeah, Uriah go with Evelyn and Rowan please." Natasha ushered us off. Not really expecting us to be eves dropping on the other side of the wall.

Natasha returned a minuet later. Pepper trembled, staring at the floor.

"Pepper?" I walked over to her slowly. Leading her over to the couch, she sighed when my still metal clad hands almost held her up.

"He's back, Tony. And we didn't even realise it."


	12. Chapter 12 : Back In Black

A/N: Hello my lovely little readers :-)

Just some thank yous ; To .. Hera, the lovely guest review who is always so polite and says thank you eachtime I post and says how much she loves my writing and this story! So ; Love you! Continue to review me pleasee!

And to ; socalmaggot again! Chatting with you is awsome, Robert's bum seems to be a hot topic of conversaation and OMG! THOSE TV SPOTS! I've been watching them non stop! Thanks for boosting my confidence with this story that makes me want to tear my hair out at times!

**_Warnings for this chapter_ ;** Some things Justin says to Rowan are a little unacceptable. I don't want to anger or upset anyone so I'm throwing this up here. And also something Justin says about Pepper is totally pig-headed, I want you all to understand I'm a huge feminist and go against the idea of women only good for cooking and child bearing that's why I love Pepper's character so much she's such a powerhouse and an incredible buisness woman, so don't be too angry with me. Your supposed to hate him not me! Just bear with!

Also for next chapter, it's gonna be sensitivem got that? I'm prewarning! I think you'll probably picked up Rowan was born pre-mature as I've mentioned it in a previous chapter. So chapter 13 is Pepper's dream/flashback of going into early labour, giving birth and seeing their tiny baby in the incubator. I'm hoping it'll be a long chapter. If you don't like it thats fine and just skip it, if you do there may be more of Rowan as a baby like going home for the first time, Evelyn holding him ect and just some stuff that we missed.

Anyway enough of the boring stuff; Hope you'll enjoy this chapter and please, please, please REVIEW for the next chapter to pop up in a few days!

x

_Chapter 12 : Back In Black._

_Tony POV._

"He's back, Tony. And we didn't realise."

"Who's back?" It must've been bad for Pepper to come all the way across here. I couldn't think of what had worked her up so much. Pepper was visibly shaking, her hand scrubbed underneath her eyes to try and stop the flow of tears.

I wanted to desuit so I could hold her to me, comfort Pepper as her ever reassuring husband.

"Pepper, sweetheart. Tell me, what's wrong?"

"It was Justin." New sobs escaped Pepper's chest as her fingers clawed at my suit obviously wishing (like me) it wasn't on me right now.

"We'll be right back." I muttered to everyone wordlessly nodding to Clint and Natasha for one of them to check the kids were in their rooms. I helped Pepper stand, towed her along down to the workshop.

"JARVIS, suit off."

Pepper stood wordlessly and silently crying waiting for the last boot to come off before we both started towards each other meeting in the middle for an equally bone crushing hug combined with sobs and my soothing words.

As soon as Pepper had even mentioned Justin's name a rage bubbled inside of me I only fought to control for the benefit Pepper and not making a scene in front of the kids. I hated that pathetic excuse for a man and I will continue to do so until the day I die - and then some.

I let her tears soak into my t-shirt . Pepper hooked her arms under mine hands gripping my shoulder blades desperately.

"What did he say to you?" I whispered into her shoulder where my head lay. My fists balled up in anger.

"He didn't, Tony. Justin went to the hospital. He spoke to Rowan! Visited our baby and-and no one stopped him." Pepper sobbed harder sensing when I stiffened.

"He did what?!" I cried, totally astonished.

"No one stopped him! Justin Hammer went and spoke to our son! What in the hell could've happened?! Justin could've... I don't know, drugged him or something!"

"But he didn't did he, I'm sorry I wasn't there." I loosened my hold on her beginning to rub my hands up an down her arms comfortingly. The anger over came me, I wanted nothing more but to find that that sorry son of a bitch and wring him dry until I was satisfied. If I stayed longer at the hospital I could've intercepted Justin. Could of prevented the fear Rowan must have felt. My little boy was face to face with that bastard. What in the hell did he say to my boy?!

"I-I just panicked. I didn't feel safe without you." She trembled.

"And that's fine, we're out of California. We'll get a lead on him, Pepper I promise. I'm glad you came." I kissed her, then took her back upstairs.

"You did the right thing, Pepper." Natasha spotted us and rushed over to Pepper hugging her one armed. Giving Pepper a steaming cup of tea she held in the other, Pepper weakly laughed.

"Thank you, Nat. I freaked out, I was looking after Uriah as well as our two. I couldn't let anything happen."

"That Justin Hammer is a box of frogs. I remember reading about that big crazed Hammeroid thing... And Ivan Vanko... Ooh and Monaco, Jeez." Bruce whistled chewing on his glasses getting a lot of shocked looks from the rest of the team and Pepper for being so random and if I'm honest, a little insensitive. If I wasn't so occupied with death plans for Justin Hammer I think I would have snapped.

_... ... ... ... ..._

_Rowan POV._

The light shone through my dark bedroom as someone opened the door.

"Evelyn, leave it he's asleep." Uriah whispered. Obviously tugging on her arm a bit from the way the door swayed, I sighed sitting up in bed.

"Hey! Get up, they're chatting!" Evelyn whispered excitedly flipping my covers back and grabbing me.

"For gods sake!" I smaked her off of me. Sighing yet again when a little squabble between us broke out. Shoves were the thing between us, squaring up to eachother taking turns pushing against eachothers chests.

"Could you two make it any more obvious, or what?!" Uriah shut the door behind us plunging the room into darkness and pulling us apart.

"Right stop! Stop, stop!" I exclaimed when Rowan continued to hit me even though I had stopped.

Next thing, we all huddled on the floor behind a big terracotta plant pot listening in on what was being said.

_... ... ... ... ... _

_Tony POV._

The atmosphere in the room was getting heated quite quickly. Fury had arrived beginning to demand more information with Maria Hill following him around as usual like a lost puppy. I groaned into my hands, elbows leaning on the table I was seated at, too much chatter revolving around the room made me want to laser them all in half.

I was too angry to speak over their shouting at each other as to what they should do about Hammer.

It was getting late by now I didn't need a clock to tell this. In a little town like in the outskirts of New Mexico they simply didn't have street lamps lining the city as bigger cities like Malibu do.

Justin Hammer was unable to locate currently, Coulson reported this nugget of information shortly after Fury's arrival. He had dropped completely off of the radar.

_"Hammer's unpredictable at the moment." _

_"The last sighting was an hour after the hospital visit."_

_"Justin could be dangerous."_

_"He can get hold of weapons."_

_"That weasel couldn't be capable of anything remotely dangerous."_

_"Nat, calm down."_

_"Calm down! Calm down?! Clint! He visited Rowan! In the hospital!"_

_"He's got access to his facilities in Queens but I don't expect him to be there."_

_"How in the hell could Justin Hammer have dropped off of our radar?!" _

_"Do we know if he has weapons?"_

_"Son of a- How did this happen?!" _

_"Why was he let near Stark's kid anyway?" _

_"I agree; where was security?" _

_"Can't exactly see Justin breaking into their school."_

I jumped when a soft touch ended up on the back of my neck, the persons fingertips lightly playing with the dark hair at the nape of my neck. I realised it was Pepper when my wife's petite frame leaned up against me from behind. Her slender arms gently squeezing before her hands interlocked at my torso. I felt a deep exhale at my neck.

"Only me." She said loud enough for me to hear.

"What are we going to do, Pepper?" I saw no point in asking as everyone showed a loss at what to do. I especially was at a loss.

"For now, I don't know."

"I need to protect the things I can't live without, that's you and the kids. If I ever lost any of-"

"Stop." Pepper desperately stopped me not at all wanting to hear this. I knew it hurt her.

"Let me say it. I honestly don't know what will happen. We can't find him, Pepper! It's not just me barely looking after myself anymore with Rhodey constantly keeping my sorry ass in line. It's not even me and you anymore. There's two extra little people to protect as well. I love you three too much to let anything happen." I stood up reaching an arm behind me to tuck Pepper safely into my side as her eyes started to glisten again.

"We love you too."

"Guy's we're going to head up to the control room to retrace our steps before we lost him." Maria told us quickly before stepping out of the room.

"Come on, Pepper."

"No, I think I'll stay down here for a bit. You go on.

"Okay... I love you" I kissed her tenderly.

"Love you too." With one final hug and a squeeze to the arms I followed behind the others.

_... ... ... ... ... ..._

_Rowan POV._

The team left the room after their argument to try and track this Justin guy again. The three of us stayed like statues behind the big terracotta plant pot; the green extravagant leaves hiding us from view.

All three of us were unsure of what to say.

"Dangerous and unpredictable?" Uriah's still cautious whisper shattered this tense silence first.

"Weapons, what do they mean weapons?" Evelyn muttered standing back up. Grinning as Uriah put a hand on her shoulder.

"Probably just guns and stuff. He didn't seem dangerous when he visited me; just obsessed." I said, thinking back.

_{Twelve hours earlier}_

_A medium to tall man strolled confidently into my private hospital room, he obviously wasn't a doctor due to the uniform. No, this man was dressed up to the nines with a sharp suit. Although, not as sharp as the designer ones dad wears. You could tell from the slightly off tailoring. The stitching just an inch off target against the soft grey suit. Sandy brown hair was trained perfectly and black rimmed glasses balanced on the man's nose._

_He shut the door behind him._

_"Sorry, I don't think you should be in here." I timidly said drawing up my knees as a pathetic first line of defence._

_"Rowan, right? Rowan Stark?" He asked slightly pointing toward me._

_"Uh-yeah. Look I don't know who you are or how you got in here but maybe you should leave-"_

_"You sure do look like your dad. And your mom." He cut me off unexpectedly._

_"Uh thanks. But I really think you should-" I started again._

_"Lovely woman your mom. I'd rather her out of the business world and more in the kitchen, like all women should if I'm honest. Especially the ones way over their heads. I knew your mom, feisty one." The currently unnamed man paced the room. "And your dad. I expect your a little genius already, aren't you? Closely protected by... I've missed a few things haven't I? What are they called? Umm.." He paced again more determinedly thing time, clicking his fingers repetitively._

_"Uh-The Avengers?" _

_"Ding, ding, ding! In the red corner, Stark's got it! Well done my boy, you are a clever little thing, aren't you? God, you can almost hear those brain cells firing up." He teased._

_"Do you even know who I am, kiddo?" He sat down. Mockingly, he leaned forward with his elbows resting on his knees, fists balled up supporting his head as he leaned forward with the up most intent._

_"No. And I want you to leave."_

_"Oh god! Lighten up, kid! Drink a martini, get laid or whatever your eight year old mind preoccupies its self with! Your old man must have talked about me! I'm Justin Hammer, yeah?!" Justin spoke as if it was obvious._

_"Uh no."_

_"That's fine, it's fine! You'll hear of me soon. Y'know what I love? Revenge! Just say it : revenge. Ooh it's a beautiful thing revenge. It's a dish best served cold isn't it. That is what they say? I'll be getting mine soon." He laughed to himself. "I can't wait, it's a sweet, sweet thing. A little like spending the summer time with a size zero glamour on a hot beach with a cocktail… Like a uh-… Pina Colada!"_

_I was lost for words a little, what?!_

_"Anyway before I get my revenge. Let's chat, huh? How are you? No scrap that how's your sister? She's a little genius too I've heard. Evelyn isn't it? Evelyn looks a lot like your mom as well, pretty. I expect I'll be seeing her soon... Ah. It's good to be back." His last sentence was mimicked with a Russian accent._

_... ... ... ... ..._

_Rowan POV._

After crawling into bed at four in the morning I woke up at ugh... Ten. I hadn't even slept well. All I dreamt about was Justin Hammer, revenge and Evelyn.

My incredible mass of messy hair was strewn in front of my eyes, go away sun light the horrible sun light burned my eyes under my heavy lids.

"Morning, Rory." Dad's voice made me jump a little but then I realised him standing in the doorway, leaning casually against the door frame. I moaned in complaint.

"Long night, huh?" He laughed.

"Yeah..."

"When you get up, we need to know what he said to you?" Dad's weight was added to the bed. He pushed back my messy hair.

"What do you mean?" I asked timidly, suddenly feeling a little bit scared.

"Did he freak you out, Rowan?" Dad put his hand softly on my cheek after I had tiredly sat up.

"Not so much that. I don't want to talk about it in front of everyone." I mumbled down into my lap.

"Baby, you don't have to if you don't want to. All you have to do is say." My ears prickled up when he said this, dad never called me 'baby' . Sure I got affectionate pet names and Rory, sweet pea, little man, little guy and even pookie occasionally quiet a bit like every other child. But never baby. I wondered then if Dad blamed himself for Justin Hammer talking to me? I looked over to him seeing a guilty expression.

Dad moved and sat under the covers with me, casting an arm around my shoulder while his other hand rubbed my side farthest from him. I leaned into his touch. I loved my dad.

"You can tell me anything, y'know." Dad mock punched my shoulder. I told Dad what Justin said after a few minuets of courage gathering. I told him the inappropriate things. I'd been amongst excitable kids long enough to know what the term 'get laid' meant. I mentioned the thing about mom, I found it hard to say or rather repeat.

"Then he went on for ages about revenge. Before Hammer left, he said how he'd be seeing Evelyn soon."

"Thanks for telling me, little pookie," Dad kissed my head. "I don't want you to worry about it, alright? I'm 'gonna keep him away from us. You and your sister won't be seeing any more of him."

Dad got up to leave before he left I sprang out of bed, tucking myself under his arm. I was still shorter than him by miles so I looked up at him happily. Dad grinned back mussing up my hair again as I took hold of his wrist.

"You're the best. Love you, dad."

"Ah. I know, thanks kiddo."

"You're so big headed!" I laughed.

"Am not! Blasphemy!" Dad feigned shock horror which made me laugh harder.


	13. Chapter 13 : Falling Into A Flashback

_A/N: Hey! I'm so sorry guys! I meant to post this yesterday but I forgot! :-(_

**_WARNING : THIS CHAPTER FEATURESS PREMATURE BIRTH AND BABIES, IF THIS WILL AFFECT YOU IGNORE THIS CHAPTER AND THE START OF NEXT CHAPTER._**

_If not... then read this one, I wanted to write this for the story just so you can kind of bond with Rowan a bit more, cause you only met him when he was two, so enjoy? Can we all just applaud me for writing this huuuuuuuuuuge chapter, eh?! Yay me! _

_~Notification~ I have a little feeling this story is going to a lot longer than I thought, I have loads of plans for this and going up into the kids lates twentys, so just bare with me here and keep reading! Also if you want some things included into this then go right ahead and leave them in my inbox :-) Thankyou!_

**_PLEASE READ AND REVIEW FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER!_**

_Chapter 13 : Falling into a Flashback._

_Pepper POV._

I couldn't sleep.

I couldn't sleep because there is a psycho out there. I can't relax until I know that man is back behind bars again. My body literally cannot handle that much mixed emotion at the hands of Justin Hammer again.

Tony slept beside me peacefully it made me wonder how he could fall asleep so easily after tonight? I put it down to the mission; it must have drained him more than they usually do.

He fell asleep holding my hand tightly in between our bodies he so determinedly clutched together with his other arm. I stared down to where our intertwined hands lay on the soft Egyptian cotton sheets.

My mind kept drawing up warped impossibilities in my mind or maybe they were possibilities, who knew what that psychopath would be doing right now but all I could ever ask is to protect my family.

At four AM I think I fell asleep on Tony's chest to the white noise of his breathing.

My dream pounced upon my unconscious mind showcasing me a flashback.

_"Sunny day, huh kiddo?" I sighed having to sit down from the pressure on my feet, they were probably swelling up again I really wouldn't know it's been months since the last time I saw my feet. My hand absent-mindedly travelled it's way back to it's resting place on the underneath of my swelling seven month pregnant stomach. Evelyn was being kindly baby sat by my mom today which was great and let me have a relaxing day to myself with Tony._

_He'd stopped going on missions again so all he really had to do was go to the office when I absolutely gave him no other choice to._

_Again with this pregnancy we knew what gender the baby would be. This time around, to Tony's delight we were having a boy. I too was very excited but I think Tony was even more so at the prospect of having a mini him to look after and chase around. It was nice to have a mix. I didn't think (a few years down the line) Tony could cope with two teenage hormonal girls some how._

_We even had a name prepared. Rowan. It was perfect and I had fell in love with the name in an instant. Of course when Tony suggested it I hadn't known what it meant until our little son lay in front of us surrounded by a plastic encasing and intimidating tubes lining his fragile flesh._

_"Gotta' name, Pepper!" He chirped entering the bedroom where I sat cross legged against the headboard reading my book the warm covers pulled onto my lap._

_"Did JARVIS help you? By the way, it's still a no to Tony Jr." I murmured too immersed in the words of Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights, to find the energy to object against Tony naming our child after himself. His ego is big enough, isn't it?!_

_"No, no! Listen! I have a genius idea!" _

_"You, Tony Stark the genius have a genius idea?" I laughed, patting my stomach his hand had already reached out to stroke irresistibly where the baby kicked, "Ready, little guy?"_

_"Uhh... Yep there you go he's ready to be named," Tony now sat opposite me on the huge bed. He finished his sentence as soon as the baby kicked especially hard. "I thought we could name him, uh-Rowan. I mean only if you like it too."_

_"Rowan?"_

_"Yes, Pepper. Rowan." His eyes left my stomach with a tender expression as they finally connected with mine. I hadn't expected myself to start crying. Tony seemed shocked by my sudden hysteria._

_"I-What? Pepper! If it's that bad we can think of something else. It's just that I liked what it meant." _

_"No, I'm fine! It's hormones!" I struggled to catch my breath and found myself laughing a little in between breaths._

_"Oh." Tony did that thing where he harshly ran a finger along his brow. _

_He slumped into bed with me sensing defeat. JARVIS automatically turned the lights down gradually until they were off completely._

_"I love the name by the way. Really love it. It's so perfect, Tony." I whispered settling down into the pillows and into his side._

_"You do?" His tone was nothing but a hopeful whisper._

_"Yeah, it sounds just right. Rowan Stark. Rowan... Stark. Rowan. Anthony? As a middle name?" I grinned up at him letting him have a little dedication with the middle name at least._

_"Rowan Anthony Stark." He agreed. Tony kissed me sweetly, our hands meeting each others on the bulge of my stomach. He looked so full of pride in that moment. _

_Tony fell asleep before me with the soothing feel of the baby, or Rowan, kicking against our hands._

_By the morning I could tell that something wasn't quite right. I woke unceremoniously with a staggering back ache that made me cringe into the pillows. This was before Tony had woken up. If the nasty tightening sensation in my lower back wasn't enough to make my eyes water the sudden abdominal pain was. I didn't mean to, but my hands flailed out gripping at the thin trail of course hair at Tony's navel. I tried my best to hum through the pain breathing out each assault of pain. _

_Tony's eyes snapped open with a weary but confused expression. _

_"What is it?" He asked me taking my shaky hand in his. _

_Whatever I did, whatever position is menovered myself into the pain in my back never eased. As for the stomach ache the unpleasant pain was on and off every twenty minuets or so._

_"I don't know what's happening." I began to panic._

_"It could be Braxton-Hicks?! I've read about it and it's not uncommon." Tony rambled shifting himself gently behind me to replace my own hands that were trying to ward of my back pain with his, he rubbed in the right area but it wouldn't pass._

_"No. This doesn't feel like it. There's a lot of pressure on my pelvis. Tony, you need to call my midwife. Now." I groaned just hitting another contracting feeling. They were okay at the moment, just like a stomach cramp but it was blatant to me the intensity of them were increasing._

_Tony scrambled from the bed awkwardly fiddling with the phone._

_Walking around the bedroom uncomfortably I couldn't feel Rowan moving under my skin not to mention how low he felt resting heavily right on my pelvis. _

_"No, you're not bleeding are you, Pepper?" Tony stayed in the same place on the phone to our midwife, he lowered the phone gladly accepting my shake of the head indicating that no I wasn't bleeding, "Good, no my wife isn't bleeding. We're fine to come in our daughter is staying with her grandmother."_

_The midwife instructed me to try and relax for at least an hour to see whether the signs of premature labour did wear off._

_"But the baby's not moving!" I wailed at Tony who was busy keeping my hair out of the bath water. He sat on a ledge behind the bath tub I was attempting to relax in._

_"You heard what the midwife said, if you're going into premature labour the baby won't move. Just a half hour more and we'll be at the hospital. How are your contractions?" Tony tried to remain calm but the tremble in his voice was still detectable._

_"Getting stronger and closer." _

_By the time Tony got us to the hospital I was sobbing. My contractions were getting worse I was so worried for the baby. Two months early, it's not supposed to happen yet! _

_A whole hour later in a private delivery room my waters finally broke. I was so scared._

_"Right honey, I think we're going to be having a baby in a few hours time. Just relax and do what your body tells you." The cheery red headed/ginger announced after checking my dilation she said I was about six centimetres._

_"How am I in labour?! I'm seven months pregnant!" _

_"This isn't even supposed to happen yet!" Tony added almost as hysterical as me._

_"It won't be beneficial for you or the baby if you're stressed out, move around, try your breathing techniques and I'll be back to check how much more dilated you are in a while. Lots of preemie babies are delivered here every week. You've passed your seven month mark, so I'm sure your little boy will be just fine. We will have the best care available for you and him."_

_Three hours of breathing techniques, crying and Tony trying to reassure me through his shaky voice, the midwife was telling me I needed to give one last push. _

_Tony sat behind my exhausted body on the bed gripping one hand in mine and the other helpfully, soothingly rubbing my back. I dug my nails into his thigh every time I had to push._

_As soon as I knew Rowan had been born, no one said congratulations. Nurses and Doctors rushed around with the tiny bundle lying him down on an examination table crowding around and speaking a tongue neither Tony or myself understood. _

_Rowan wasn't crying._

_"What's wrong?!" Tony franticly let his words tumble out. His expression matched mine; wide eyed and pale._

_"Tony? Why isn't he crying?" I whispered hopelessly crying through my words. My body took over and began to hyperventilate._

_"Tony! Why isn't he crying?!" I sobbed freely tears wetting my cheeks. _

_It topped off this horrible ordeal. Knowing I was going to give birth two months early and know I hardly knew what was happening to our baby or if I'm going to see his chest rise and fall with each breath._

_All I felt was Tony's arms wind around my torso and tears dripping onto my shoulder. He shouldn't be crying. Rowan should be._

_A few more seconds later the doctors and nurses breathed a sigh of relief. A distinctive high-pitched wail elicted from the little bundle on the examination table making an unbelievable sense of solace though out every corner of my body right to my fingertips._

_"There we are, got a nice steady heart beat." The greying senior doctor smiled at the nurse. The young blonde came over sighing happily._

_"We thought we lost him for a second there. I'm happy to tell you you're son is okay." _

_"Oh, thank God." Tony breathed into the side of my neck. Our hands tightening in each other, I looked back to him both of our cheeks drenched with tears of utter fear. _

_"Can I hold him? My baby, can I hold him?" I pleaded already holding my arms out for him. _

_"I'm afraid not, not yet anyway. We're going to take your son down to the Incubation Unit for Premature Babies. Pepper, I'll be getting you cleaned up and then you'll be free to see your son in the IUPB. _

_"Our baby's going to be okay though? He's-He's not-" _

_"Mr Stark, your baby will okay for now. But we'll be keeping a close eye on him." The nurse patted Tony's shoulder before gathering the equipment to clean me up._

_I just wanted to see him, proof Rowan was okay. _

_Once I was all cleaned up Tony helped me into a wheelchair._

_"Whatever happens, I love you." Tony whispered into my hair._

_"Don't say anything like that. Please, don't. Rowan has to be okay because I love you both so much." _

_The unit was fully lit in the corridors, however the rooms dimmed creating a serenity. No one need for any further stress._

_"Come on in." The nurse whispered adding to the calmness, she smiled leaning down to reassuringly rub my shoulder. She understandably made us both sanitize our hands thoroughly before even going near the little being in the incubator. _

_Both mine and Tony's breath hitched. Rowan's body lay still in the incubator his little head turned to the side and eyes closed. The diaper he wore seemed to drown him. The movement of his chest convinced me he was okay for now._

_"Can I-Am I allowed to hold him?" I asked hopefully, I wanted to hold him so badly it hurt. So defenceless and unaware of the cruel world he had born into. Unaware of who his dad actually was, unaware of how much we wanted him to be okay, happy and healthy._

_"Sure you can, just give me a second to check his stats. You can let him know mommy and daddy are here with him." She swung one of the little flaps and walking away to read all of the technical machines connected to Rowan by tiny tubes lining areas of his premature skin._

_Tony a nod when my shaking hand extended outwards to feed through the window like flap in the translucent incubator. I couldn't believe how much it intimidated me my baby lying there supported by these extra tubes that he wouldn't have needed if my body hadn't decided to go into early labour robbing Rowan a couple more months to develop and be able to be healthy. _

_My hand automatically drew away as soon as my fingertips came into contact with my baby's fragile skin._

_"How can one person be so tiny?" I asked rhetorically my index finger settling with a feather light touch upon his cheek just about daring to make microscopic movements._

_"I've seen smaller preemies make it through with one hell of a fight." The nurse cut in making me grin._

_"It's mommy, Rowan. How you doing?" I knew he wouldn't have responded but it made me feel all the better to let him hear my voice._

_"Ready to hold your son? Little Rowan is two pounds and three ounces." The nurse happily yet cautiously began to gather up Rowan on the blanket he was lying on already then gently scooped him up, never once taking her eyes off of him before lowering Rowan into my awaiting arms. I stifled tears again._

_"Hello, sweetie." I whispered afraid my voice would harm him although I sniffled several times. I felt Tony gently collapse into the chair next to me his arm tightening around my shoulders, his other hand tremulously making it's way up to rest on the blanket next to my hand._

_"We weren't supposed to be seeing you for a while, little guy." Tony laughed a little through his cracking voice. _

_"Go to daddy." I began to pass him over to Tony who immediately looked alarmed but still slid his hands under mine._

_"He's so tiny. It doesn't even feel like your holding him." Tony gasped. _

_"Rowan'll be tiny until we help him get better and put on some weight. But until then he's going to need a lot of help for him to finish off development and start to breath on his own." The nurse smiled. _

_There wasn't really time to over whelm myself with guilt and sorrow. To feel bad that I had robbed my baby of a few more months of development and possibly even his health. Although, guilt was the very feeling that had settled in my stomach no matter how much I ignored it._

_"The first night's the worst, right? But they say that if a premature baby makes it through the first night he's a fighter. He's 'gotta make it through. Rowan has to come home and-and see the beach and um- see his big sister. We've told our friends they're going to be godparents." Tony began to blubber gently rocking Rowan to his chest, allowing the blue luminosity to cast delicately onto Rowan's already red-purple tinted skin._

_Him crying set me off, I scrubbed harshly underneath my eyes with the backs of my hands._

_Tony looked over to me with his sorry expression of pain and longing to know what the next few hours would hold._

_"I can't promise you anything. But as I've said I've seen littler ones pull through and go home some of them are two now coming in for check ups. All very happy and developing well. What I can promise you is we will do everything to help Rowan through the night and until he is well enough to go home with you. Try not to stress, I know it's hard not to, just let him know your here and speak to him." The nurse stepped over to rub Tony's arm._

_... ... ... ... ..._

_Rowan was three days old now much to our relief he made it through the long hours stretching over the duration of the night. I was taken back to my room even through the terrifying moments where he had forgotten to breath resulting in an ear splitting alarm going off. _

_Now, we were back on track. Rowan was making miraculous progress the nurses found him becoming healthier more and more with each passing day. I had no faith, neither did Tony but we both considered this a blessing._

_Thankfully I had been discharged from hospital allowing me to go home yet it felt alien to spend several hours enduring the pains of premature labour then watching my beautiful little son over night as I was too terrified to leave him and finally returning home to gather up things we were to unprepared for three days ago. _

_I made Tony visit the office just so he could let everyone know I was okay and most importantly our premature baby was doing okay too. Also Tony could meet Rhodey down there, meanwhile waiting for them in Rowan's relaxed room I stared into his incubator running my finger ever so lightly across his fragile cheek as he lay there, touching him through the little window in the incubator, Rowan's head facing me his eyes still firmly closed._

_My finger moved along his arm until I had reached his hand full of five slender red-purple tinted fingers, so far Rowan's movements were jerky. Every now and then he would jolt out one of his tiny legs or arms the nurse had told me this was apparently normal and with time Rowan would become more fluid in his actions._

_But I had hardly expected him to wrench out and grab my finger in his hand. It was a feather-light touch almost undetectable however completely heart melting, powerful, meaningful, so very real and amazing all at the same time. He knew I was here next to him. Rowan knew I was his mom and I was here with him._

_"Hey little one, it's mommy. You okay? How you feeling? It has to be annoying all of those bells and whistles not exactly subtle is it? You need it though, to get better. So you have to promise to get better and open those little blue or brown eyes-"_

_"Oh Ginny!" A very familiar heartbroken voice interrupted my comforting words to my son. I turned to see my dad standing in the doorway with Evelyn asleep in his arms. He looked devastated. _

_"Dad!" I breathed closing the short distance between us and hugging both my dad and my two year old daughter tightly at the same time._

_"What's going on, Gin? Where's Tony?" Dad looked panicked hugging me back quickly before handing Evelyn to me gently whom I hugged to me tightly with the greatest intention. I guessed mom and Caroline had had fun with the joys of a two year old as her hair was set in plaits. _

_"He's so small, dad. I-I don't know if he'll make it through." I began to cry again, about the seventy fifth in the past three days. My dad casted me a sorry look not knowing what else to do but hug me again, pulling away he pressed a kiss to the top of my head. _

_"Look at him, poor little lad." Dad sighed sadly looking in through the translucent incubator. _

_"You can touch him, Rowan held my finger before you came in." I smiled getting up from the plastic chair from where I looked after Evelyn maternally._

_Dad slipped his hand in after I opened the little hatch for him. His touch was shaky but loving already caring for Rowan after five whole moments of meeting him for the first time._

_"Hi Rowan, yeah hi. It's gramps here. You've been a little mischief haven't you? Yeah you have, causing your mom and dad lots of stress already, huh? You poor little thing you. What are we 'gonna do? Where's you're daddy, hm?" Dad murmured quietly into the serenity of the room. The way he spoke just then made me feel a thousand times better, I even cracked a little smile at the sight of seeing my own father caring so compassionately over his tiny three day old grandson._

_"Tony had to sign a document that had it's deadline three days ago. So right now, he's at the office." I replied just as quietly rocking Evelyn against me._

_"I bet you miss him? Yeah, sure ya' do. Best daddy in the world to you guys. Oh, you heard me did you? " Dad laughed lightly when Rowan snatched up his finger that was already stroking the tiny baby's hand._

_"He's the best, but I can think of one exception... Thanks for being here, dad." _


	14. Chapter 14 : Ancient Arts and Warefare

A/N: How nice am I?! Two chapters in two days?! You better believe it!

Anyway, thanks the reviews I got so nice saying how beautiful the last chapter was! Thaaaanks!

and thanks to guest reviewer 'Hera' for reviewing AGAIN! You fabulous person! Your review touched me a litte! It was lovely, as soon as you said your nephew was a preemie my stomach turned a little, I was a little like 'ahh! Are you goiing to say it was terrible and insensitive?!"But oh my god, thankyou for the positive feed back!

I forgot to write this last time, but this is the ending to Pepper's flashback and I just wanted to let you know as always, I did research everything to the max like I always do with a more serious topic (there will be about a ton of serious, sensitive topics! One in Chapter 18 that I finished a few days ago...) But yeah, I hope I didnt offend anyone too much! Hahah!

**_This chapters kinda_**_ has_**_ spoilers I think for IM3_** , so just scroll past if you are unlike me and are tying to find out EVERYTHING before you actually go and see Iron Man 3.. And erm.. let me know what you think of the middle part , which is my favorite part ever! (except chapter 18... I hope your npt going to start asking questions..) And just to be clear I want you all to know in my story (after the middle bit) Justin Hammer has kind of vanished fromt eh face of the earth, Okay? So Tony and Pepper and the Avengers can't do anything to find him because they have no leads or any clue where he may be. So nothingg strange has happened since the hospital visit...

**_PLEASE REVIEW FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER!_**

OOOOOOh! And guess who the Master is?! Kinda obvious!

_Chapter 14 : Ancient Arts and Warfare._

_Continued.. {Pepper POV.}_

_"I wouldn't be anywhere else, hon." Dad turned sincerely and smiled tentatively. _

_I don't think I could ever thank my dad for being here today, right now when I needed him faithfully taking a little weight from my shoulders for the time being. _

_We sat together for a while I wasn't precisely keeping track of time, I only noticed how much time had passed up until Tony walked hurriedly through the door juggling his phone as well as thoroughly scrubbing his hands with anti-bacterial. Tony had gone anti-bacterial crazy removing his wedding ring from his left hand and stowing it away safely for the duration of the visit as he knew bacterial festered especially in the cracks and cervices of jewellery. So indeed his wedding ring had been removed stuffed (as I presumed) into the pocket of his sweat pants. _

_"Hey, everything peachy?" Tony panted, his eyes lighting up just like Stark Tower in the dead of night when he laid eyes on Evelyn. A watery smile formed across my lips when Tony reached out for her greedily to engulf her in a tight hug inhaling his daughter's sweet scent._

"_Yeah, doing well so far." I replied quietly, not wanting to break the serenity._

_"Thanks for coming down with her, Gregg." Tony greeted my dad, smiling as Evelyn sleepily woke up. _

_"Daddy!" Evelyn cheered throwing her arms enthusiastically around Tony's neck. Dad quietly excused himself to grab a coffee._

_"Hey there, shush a second. Check this out, this is Rowan, Evelyn. You're little brother." _

_"Wow! He's soo tiny, mommy!" Evelyn exclaimed her exaggerated features looking comical. _

_"Isn't he just, sweetheart? You're going to have to help look after him." I smiled shakily standing up to kiss Evelyn's head._

_"I sure will!" _

_"Y'know you never told me what Rowan meant?" I nudged Tony's side lightly with my hip. Tony responded with quick kiss to my lips followed by a raspy whisper into the calm surroundings._

_"Well. Evelyn means 'little bird'. And Rowan-Rowan means 'little redhead."_

_... ... ... ... ... ..._

_Pepper POV._

The dream of a flashback shallowed out in my sub-conscious mind until my eyes flickered revealing a heart melting sight.

My feelings returned to me and the pit of my stomach took on an inflamed quality at the sensation of Tony's arms securely wrapped around my torso making me grin through the simple gesture. My nose instantly picked up his knee-weakening, swoon worthy masculine scent with my head settled on the pillow against his neck.

My own hands gently skimmed over his ribs in a rhythmic motion, quietly appreciating him through the noises of the shared tower.

I could already hear the kids stomping excitably around in the kitchen most probably constructing breakfast with a large serving of Nutella.

"Hmm." Tony groaned pulling me out of my reverie.

Tony was indescribable in the mornings it was a whole different kind of beautiful; stubbly morning beard, tousled bed hair and scent coupled with the way the Egyptian cotton sheets caressed his skin and lazy bourbon eyes. And hot. Just so damn hot.

"You awake?" I kissed his collar bone; talking with a soft tone.

"Mmhmm," Tony replied slowly and drowsily. Replying in the two ways I loved, his strong arms constricting around my waist and his beautiful raspy morning voice." I am now, with you touching me up like that. S'a time?"

"Don't know, Don't care." I replied, hitting him lightly in the side for his cheeky remark.

Tony seductively rolled over on top of me until I was pressed firmly into the mattress and pillows beneath me. He kissed me hard as all I felt was his lips descend impatiently onto mine.

I kissed him back more than eagerly but I couldn't help but feel put off when 'the happenings back home' flooded back to me. I lightly pushed him away. Tony instantly moved down to press butterfly kisses along my jaw.

"No, Tony. Wait." I pushed him away again catching the confused glint in his eyes, the same expression quickly appearing on his face.

"What? What's wrong? Did I do something?"

"No, no it's not you. You're fine. What are we going to do, Tony?" I mumbled beginning to break our faithful eye contact.

"'Bout what? Hammer?" Tony asked tensely. He settled back down onto the pillows with me.

"Yes Hammer, Tony! Who else!?" I exclaimed my hands hitting him in the chest as they failed out.

"Right. I don't know right now. I promise to find him. And kill him. Whatever happens, Pepper, I will get rid of him."

_... ... ... ... ... ..._

_Around 7,196 miles across the Globe. _

_Country - China._

_Location - An unknown high security compound, secluded in the mountains. _

_One Of The Master's Guards POV._

"You! With me!" I had tan slender fingers snapped in my face. Freaking idiot. The sharp snap to my face was made by a man I believe to have just escaped a federal prison in America and fled to a distant country or, China.

Quietly waiting on the outskirts of the central attention on Stark, Hammer had been raising his numbers stealthily.

In the process, a Fu Manchu warlord summoned him in to the damp depths of the Chinese caves (with high confidence he could make use of Hammer. To Hammer, him and The Master were fond friends, to The Master however, Hammer was a common wanna-be revenge seeker, trying to reek his revenge in the most pathetic and weak ways. The Master often laughed at Hammer behind his back, and sometimes even in front of his face.) . Shrouded in secrecy. We called him The Master.

Hammer turned into a weasel quickly whilst in the company of this dark character. Dark wasn't even the right word.

He wore ten rings and draws a cloak around himself of Chinese symbols and dragons because it represents his obsessions with Sun Tzu in various ancient arts of warfare he had studied. Since becoming homeless as the Chinese Government had evicted him because he was too broke to pay taxes, he wondered homelessly, furiously, bitterly and very well trained in martial arts and sciences around the globe. On the course of his wondering he found an alien space ship in which he studied to gain more knowledge of advanced science. He had stolen those same ten rings from the space ship he had studied.

Now, I had Hammer's idiotic face boring into my own as if I were the idiot. The way his frown creased downwards into the thick black frame of his glasses, how he had always insisted on wearing a suit in the Chinese caves was just ridiculous and made me want to snap his neck.

"Come on! I'm seeing a very special guy! The Master, c'mon!" Hammer clapped his hands for me to hurry along like his little bitch ever so faithfully trailing beside at his ankles. I sighed and reluctantly followed him.

"Don't play, Hammer." the thick accent of his voice cut across the sound of the doors creaking open as we entered the cold hexagonal room.

"Apologies. I'm waiting for new orders." Hammer said pathetically attempting confidence.

"The boy?" His chair faced away from us shielded by a thick cloud of smoke.

"I corresponded with only days ago in Malibu's General Hospital."

"As deplorable as your speaking now no doubt...Bide our time. It will come around quicker than we think." He stood from his chair an slowly paced with a strong stride.

"About the we part-"

"Hammer! As I've said; I have other contacts. You're just another inconvenience as well as a phone number in my bulging address book. I wouldn't need to count my rings before I could have you cut from existence or rather impaled on a rocky mountain ledge. Your share is non-existent."

"My share is non-existent? C'mon we all 'gotta make a living-" Hammer began to grovel beside me.

"You're done once you've fulfilled you're purpose with the girl." The Master bluntly stated.

"Then I'd refuse." Hammer muttered.

"Does your generation know nothing, let's not share a tale of that much gore, shall we? HSIUNG!" He yelled, another guard from beside me yanked a machete from the wall, rusting silver dog tags hung from it. Hsiung, a dark haired Chinese boy my age, yanked Hammer backwards by the hair giving him no other option but to recede to his knees before the sharp blade began to dig into his flesh.

"Okay, okay! I'll do it!" Hammer surrendered after a few seconds of the blade sinking further and further, threatening to break his skin. Hammer was let back up to his feet.

He turned suddenly towards us giving us a brief view of his profile as the veil of smoke clouded over once more. The Master began to speak once more.

"I teach the world, Hammer. As some people may call me a terrorist, I consider myself a teacher. Lesson. Number. One. Heroes, there's no such thing. I will justify that... I'll tear him from the seams, pulling stitches out one by one until the blood spills out, staining his name and existence. I'll destroy his world from the inside out. Watch the world consume him as his own world burns down around him as well as the ones he loves flake away from him due to all of the pain and distress I will inflict until he can no longer rely on anyone else. Just him and myself. Blacking out his world like the Blitz, so he stands alone like an exposed nerve in the darkness, an easy target. To make him wish he'd never been married. To make him wish they had never been born. Tony Stark. He will never see me coming."

_... ... ... ... ... _

_{Four Years Later. Evelyn - 14, Uriah - 13 and Rowan - 12.}_

_Evelyn POV._

"Ro! You ready, dude?" Uriah called down the hall with me beside him after our advanced science class had been dismissed. Rowan was joking around with his friends in between juggling all of his folders and coursework. Like Uriah and I, Rowan was put into fast track classes a few years ago prior to starting high school to study subjects on a more advanced level. We had issues with boredom, once the boredom settled, havoc began to reek.

"Yeah, just a sec. See you later, guys!" Rowan slammed his red locker shut and started towards us.

The both of us Stark kids already had tons of early college offers and future university places if we wanted to accept later on when the time came.

Rowan was interested in mechanics, it made sense really Dad and Rowan spent a lot of time in the workshop putting a lot of elbow grease into all of the retro, modern and handed down cars dad had as well as the motorbikes. Rowan had a great deal of enthusiasm in Uncle Rhodey's line of work, ever since he had taken an interest Uncle Rhodey had been happy to take him along into the Weapons Development of the Air Force.

But then again, I was very interested in mechanics as I often helped my dad work on the Hotrod and nowadays we set ourselves a little project of a 1952 black Maisto Harley Davidson.

I also loved to study the more academic subjects like advanced English literature and language, advanced history and of course advanced sciences. Uncle Bruce had taught me a lot as well as letting me help on some little projects. I really did love my Uncle Bruce even though he was quiet (compared to me) we got on really well and had a laugh. He told me frequently how much I reminded him of my dad and the talent I had for science.

_"Oh shucks, stop it!" I had laughed playing with an interface absentmindedly._

_"Don't tell him this, but you have your father's sass too." Bruce had smiled back shyly._

I also helped my mom and dad out in the office... The intern was really cute.

The three of us walked home in the blazing sun.

Uriah's hand brushed against mine when I least expected it. The touch lasted a millisecond before the back of his hand swung away from mine again in the casual sway of his stride, but the after effect lasted forever. Releasing a blast of an unfamiliar tingly pleasure through my body catching me by surprise.

Confused, I managed to brush the feeling off just as quickly as it had appeared.

Finding an elderly man outside the mansion was rather odd, he stared most intently at it. A little smile playing at his lips. I cautiously approached.

"Uh-sir? You don't really look like an Iron Man fan, can we do anything to help you?" I asked the respectable looking gentleman dressed up to the nines in a navy pinstripe suit, waistcoat and tie leaning on an oak and ivory walking stick.

"Good afternoon, miss...?"

"Stark. Evelyn Stark, sir. This is my brother Rowan and our friend Uriah. Are you lost, sir?" I gestured to my brother, I noticed the man's eyebrows shoot up for a millisecond before he composed himself. But a bigger smirk settled across his features

"Miss Stark? Well, this is a surprise. It's a pleasure to meet you all. I'm Edwin Jarvis, miss, I was wondering if I might speak with Tony Stark? I'm somewhat of an old family friend." Edwin grinned broadly at the three of us. The wrinkles on his face visibly bunching up really showing off his age, not to mention his white-grey hair.

"Uriah, what's the time?"

"It's... Two forty-five." He quickly replied.

"Well, if you say your a friend of dad's you can come on in, our parents should be home soon." I offered kindly, liking this man already. I hardly saw him as a spy or anything. Uriah was quite attuned to that kind of thing so he would've already said something.

"No, no. I wouldn't want to impose or worry anyone. Just tell your father I stopped by."

"I absolutely insist, sir. It's no trouble at all. Come on down." I urged him.

We slowly began to descend down the long drive, all three of us kept up a lively conversation with Edwin through out his polite questions.


	15. Chapter 15 : Maybe I Need You?

_A/N: Hey :-) _

_So this is kinda a really pointless chapter if I'm being honest! This chapter is based on myself and my personal expirences.. So I realised I'd shove this litle life story in here, don't ask why I passed out, I still have no idea why to this day! Um.. Edwin Jarvis is a character from the comics, it has no point really but I thought itd be nice for him to turn up ect.. This has to be a quick note if you haven't guessed by now.. C'mon we're flagging on the reviews here! Can we get to forty so you guys can read and get the next chapter up here?_

**_REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!_**

_Chapter 15. : Maybe I Need You._

_Tony POV._

"Cameron." I buzzed the intercom for the new intern slash my kind of new assistant to come and do things for me. For once I was actually working reluctantly in my office instead of messing around with the R&D guys when they needed me downstairs.

"Yes, Mr. Stark? What may I do for you?" Cameron, my assistant currently getting experience in the world of business left his own country of England to come and work part time for me at Stark Industries. He was very helpful and seventeen years old, what slightly concerned me was his eye for the ladies. Can't complain too much though, can I? I used to be like that once, at least he wasn't involved with my daughter.

"I just need you to hand deliver these to Mrs. Stark down the hall-"

"No need thank you, Cameron." Pepper walked into my office interrupting me with a cheeky smile.

"That was convenient.. Uh- change of plan then, just some fuel from this joint to go then, please."

Cameron Smith looked immediately alarmed and confused at my request wordlessly turning to Pepper for some indication of what to do or say.

"Don't mind him. He means coffee." Pepper huffed hitting me softly in the chest.

"Ow." She got a hurt pout in return.

Ten minuets later Pepper and I leisurely walked out with my coffee in hand, as usual we sarcastically bickered.

"You can't just say 'fuel' and expect a new intern to know what you're going on about! You have to help make his job here a little bit easier than throwing words at him like that!"

"I don't throw things, how can I throw things Pepper, if I don't like to be handed things?... I 'tinker' apparently. The world of business isn't easy, Pepper! I'm eccentric. You said it yourself." Laughing, I nudged her side playfully in the lift.

"I still tinker apparently, Happy. How unbelievable!"

"Tony's still in denial, Hap." Pepper intervened urging me to get into the Bentley.

"I wouldn't like to say, boss!" Happy laughed, closing the door behind Pepper and slipped in behind the wheel.

Things seemed normal progressing through the house until we reached the kitchen. Finding my daughter in the kitchen proved to be a little odd, she was brewing a mug of green tea the chesnutty, light and soothing smell reminding me of my childhood slightly as I only ever knew one person who drank that vulgar green tea because they liked it. She was also unstacking garibaldi's out of their packet and lying them on a plate.

"Hiya, honey. Good day at school?" Pepper greeted Evelyn pressing a kiss to her temple as she walked by.

"Same as usual, long and boring. Someone's here for you, dad." Evelyn one armed hugged me. I lay my arm tightly around her shoulder.

"Who's here, sweetheart?"

"Evelyn! I thought we told you not to let anyone in other than friends when neither me or your father's home!" Pepper quietly scolded Evelyn who pouted, set down the tea and biscuits on the kitchen's marble island and wound both of her arms around my waist in attempt to guilt trip me into being on her side.

"Well, sorry! I didn't think! He wanted to talk to dad and he hardly looked like a mass murderer or terrorist so we invited him in to wait for you. I'm not tip-toeing around just because of Hammer showed up one time a few years ago, he certainly doesn't scare me! Jesus, live a little!" Evelyn shot back.

"Evelyn Vera Stark, that's quite enough of that." Pepper crossed her arms in front of us.

"Calm down, you. Who's here? Show me." I rubbed up and down her arms. Pepper rolled her eyes at the both of us. Muttering something about no will power when it comes to my children.

"Sure thing. C'mon, dad."

"Tony Stark. Well, I'll never."

"Edwin!?" I gasped. Hardly expected Edwin Jarvis to be standing in my living room. How many years had gone by I'll never know but I was sure we must look like one hell of a shock. Especially me, I must have changed a lot to him. Going from genius child, a prodigy, intelligent genius teen, moody teen, parentless teen, a drunk, playboy, Iron Man, (Jesus, this is a hefty list.) , married and now father. To me he just looked a little older. Still just as well dressed as I remembered, only the wrinkles on his face more defined and hair had now turned white.

"This is a surprise. Seeing you married with two children of your own." Edwin chuckled shaking my hand in the both of his.

"It's a surprise to me as well.. More of a surprise to see you after so many years... Pepper, this is Edwin Jarvis. My family's butler when I was a boy. Edwin, this my wife Pepper."

"It's so nice to see Tony has settled down with such a lovely woman." Edwin beamed at Pepper happily.

"Thank you, it's lovely to meet you." Pepper blushed back a little.

Edwin had thanked me sincerely for my payments for his 'unnecessarily expensive' care in the best retirement home I could find for him in Palm Springs. Of course I hadn't seen him since I left home in New York all those years ago leaving him to tend to the huge, empty mansion on Long Island.

Over the years I had funded all of Edwin's requirements from the time he had become ill with kidney troubles.

Edwin informed me there was no need to fund for the retirement home anymore as he was moving to England to join his children and grandchildren. I was happy for him.

"It's been a pleasure, Tony. I wish you all the best, doubt you'll need it though. I'll keep in touch shall I?" Edwin paused after he stepped out the leaning on his walking stick. The look in his eyes making me feel humble even though I was saying goodbye for the second and last time ever.

"Please do. It's been a long run, Edwin and a pleasure."

"And you Tony, m'boy. And you. That's a beautiful family you have there, never forget that. Remember to post me a photo of the grandkids one of these days." With that, Edwin began to amble up the drive way chuckling happily to himself. Growing smaller and smaller in the distance until disappearing from sight around the gate.

What he had said shocked me, I'm not sure shocked was the word but made me sense a depth in that anything could happen.

My children would grow up nothing would prevent that natural occurrence. Hopefully both Rowan and Evelyn would go on to have successful careers and be happy in themselves always. They might even find someone and have what Pepper and I have, love, trust, marriage, children.

Then I realised, like the selfish person I am, I didn't want them to grow up.

_... ... ... ... ... ..._

_{Evelyn 15, Uriah 14 and Rowan 13.}_

_Evelyn POV._

I've been having a lot of thoughts lately.

Thoughts about Uriah. Urgh! I'm so confused! Do I like him?

I've been best friends with Uriah since forever so we naturally had a really good connection as we'd always been around each other from since he was born, we knew what each other liked, disliked, laughed and frowned upon. I knew he didn't feel the way I did anyway, why would he? Uriah only sees me as a friend.

I'm so stupid.

He made me feel good about myself. The way he'd pay me little unnecessary friendly compliments. Like when he thought I dressed nicely, did the minimum amount of natural make up I wore nicely or had my hair in different styles Uriah always told me how he thought I looked 'lovely' today.

The way Uriah would tuck a loose piece of hair behind my ear had always given me goose bumps.

_"Your eyes are an awesome colour. Like melted chocolate." Uriah whispered to me in the dead of night on one of those occasions he slept round ours. _

_"No they're not. I like yours a lot more, they're pretty. Like the sea." I replied cheekily._

_"Yours are prettier."_

I hadn't noticed up until recently how good looking Uriah really was. Black hair messy and tousled, looking like it was supposed to be styled like that. Blue eyes, the same colour as Malibu's ocean. They were mesmerising to look into with the little flecks of hazel brown closest to his pupils. It looked so good with his incredibly clear complexion.

Uriah was so sweetly protective as well, I briefly remembered the time when we were younger and he had put his arm around me protectively as we walked through New Mexico towards the Avengers Tower. He made me feel safe and loved by him.

I loved how Uriah wasn't scared to get close to me or would put a comforting arm around my waist or shoulder.

All in all; I'm deadly confused about Uriah and how I feel about him. For now, I'll just have to continue on and brush off any future feelings I might have.

Get over it, Evs!

_... ... ... ... ..._

_{Evelyn 16, Uriah 15, Rowan 14.}_

"What's your problem?" Uriah stopped dead pan in front of me.. And my locker, looking angry or pissed. Couldn't really tell.

Ugh, one lesson left before the end of the day. Ew, biology. The easiest science module ever, Rowan and I could do it in our sleep.

"Uh? Are you talking to me or..?" I decided to be playful with the boy a five inches taller than me now wearing an exasperated expression as I turned and looked around me in mock surprise.

"Uh-Yeah! I'm talking to you."

"Well move. Mr. Pushy you're blocking my locker, which I need to get to," I huffed. "Like now!" Hitting him with my folder he sluggishly moved to

the side.

"Something's wrong, Evs. Your acting weird again."

"Nope. I don't see how that's so."

"You are unbelievably crap at lying. Just tell me! What is it, it.. A guy?" Uriah looked at me seriously now I thought I caught a little concerned look in his eyes just for a moment there.

"No. _**Dad**_, there isn't a guy. You can hold NYPD on the phone there for a second. God! What's up with me?! How about what's up with you?!" I growled back leaning away from the depths of organising my locker only to meet the depths of ocean like intensity pools that were his eyes.

"Nothing. So no guy then?" Uriah raised an eyebrow.

"No, Miss Maple, no need to get out of your arm chair. No guy on the scene. Are you seeing anyone?" I challenged back.

"Uh-no."

"Uh-okay. Sorted then," I began to walk off reaching up to pat his cheek.

I felt a restraint on my pony tail again.

"You people have got to stop doing that." I flung my arm out to hit him but he dodged out of the way and walked by my other side. Damn kid for being trained in fighting like his parents are!

"I blame your brother for starting the hair pulling thing." He simply replied as we sat down in our usual seats at the back of our biology class. Mr. Stephens shuffled in.

"So no guy then?" Uriah smirked. Chewing on the end of his pen - which I found oh so attractive... _Oh shut up, Evelyn! Ugh, this is seriously annoying me now!_

"Evelyn?"

"Oh sorry.. Um- No." I sighed, beginning to write down the date and title in my book. Great, drugs was today's topic.

"Yeah, because injecting and collapsing your veins is good fun." Uriah muttered sarcastically. I snorted, laughing.

He was often seen between the good boy side and the bad guy side. It wasn't two faced or annoying it just depended on what kind of situation he was involved in.

No one except Rowan and I (in school) knew what Uriah's parents actually did for a living even though they asked he made a cover story up of them working for NYPD. Though, everyone knew how amazingly well Uriah could fight from those few times he had defended his arse hole friends when Matt or Jay where stupid enough to entice and then get into fights out by the dumpsters with the jocks. I stood by amused usually.

Uriah was trained just like Aunty Natasha and Uncle Clint, it was really cool to watch him sparring. He tried to teach me once, but I gave up from him being too bossy and flooring me after three and a half minuets.

It was really irritating though, to get a moment to chat when you have a bunch of giggling teenage girls whispering about his biceps or just how gorgeous he is.

_Oh god, there I go again! Someone slap me_?

This is the lesson where shit went wrong. I passed out.

Yeah! I passed the fuck out! During a very graphic video of people injecting drugs, now anyone who knows me knows I have an extreme phobia of needles. This video was horrible, I briefly remembered feeling really sick and considering putting my hand up to run out to the girls bathrooms before the blackness took over my vision, I sensed gravity took me as I felt myself fall to one side with th horrible addition of my head spinning impossibly fast.

"She's really white!"

"Her eyes are darting everywhere!"

"Oh my god! Is she 'gonna die!?"

"Evelyn, your lips are white as hell!"

"Is she 'gonna puke?!"

That's all I heard when my eyes involuntarily opened and realised what happened.

"Evelyn, you okay?" I heard Uriah's sweet caring voice above me, slowly realising I had fallen from my chair onto him. Uriah held me tightly rubbing my arm with one hand and enveloping me around the waist with the other.

I briefly took in Mr. Stephens telling Uriah to help me out the class room to wait in main reception as my parents should be called.

"What happened?" I croaked as I suddenly had a bottle of water thrust into my sights. I wordlessly took it.

"You passed out. Shall I carry you or are you okay to walk?" Uriah asked with worry present in his tone.

"I can walk." I trembled still from surprise and being gut wrenchingly upset.

Sat in the reception room with Uriah, he turned being all sweet and lovely with me, tucking my head under his chin. Rubbing my back and kissing the top of my head every now and then ,like he always did when I was upset, as I sniffled quietly into his t-shirt.


	16. Chapter 16 : Awkward Topics

_A/N: Hey ;-) Thanks for reviewing! I'm debating whether to put up another chapter in a second? _

_ANYWAY, AFTER YOU READ THIS , REVIEW AND TELL YA FRIENDS!_

_LETS PRETEND MIT ISNT SO FAR AWAY FROM CALI?!_

_Chapter 16 : Awkward Topics._

_Uriah POV. _

"You alright?" I asked her sadly. Evelyn crying silently into my t-shirt whilst we sat in the reception after her surprise fainting spell. Every now and then I couldn't resist from placing gentle kisses on the top of her head just to try and make her feel better. Each time I did, she stiffened. Her grip on my leather jacket tightened slightly so you could hear the gentle squeak of her fingers contracting around the material. But she didn't tell me to stop, so I didn't.

God. I loved her. She'd never know it, I didn't want her too, but sure as hell loving her was the only thing I thought about.

But she's a Stark. Daughter of the famous Iron Man and very protective father Tony Stark, my Uncle Tony.. How awkward would that be.. Evelyn could have any boy on the planet, who ever she would chose would say yes, without a doubt. Why would any boy be so blind in seeing how beautiful Evelyn was? I'm just-well I'm just me, how could I date or so much as kiss a girl like her when I've never so much as held down a decent relationship myself. Most girls here stare at me like a piece of meat in a butcher's display window.

With her dark chocolate eyes, perfect straight nose, kissable lips, a not too tanned complexion and matching dark brown hair, she was perfect to me. Chortling with laughter, crying with make up trailing down her cheeks, no make up at all or even when she answered the door on a Saturday morning in her pyjamas, bed hair and sleepy eyes it never mattered. She still looked amazing.

"Can I call anyone for you, honey?" The receptionist asked gently making both me and Evelyn jump out of our skins.

"Uh. No. Can Uriah take me home?" Evelyn requested shakily, she sat up on the edge of the plastic chair.

"I'm afraid I can't just let you go, hon."

"Well, then. Just leave a message on my dad's answer phone at work and I'll text him once I'm at home." Evelyn practically begged.

"Fine. Okay. Just don't make a habit of it. Next time your mother or your father is coming to get you." Miss. Clemence sighed in defeat, reaching across her tea and biscuit cluttered desk to reach the phone.

"I won't. It's just that they're in this big board meeting this afternoon, I'd feel bad if I pulled one of them out to get me. Thanks, miss." Evelyn said hurriedly as I took her bag from her and got my car keys out.

I was sure to double check Evelyn was comfortable on the cream leather seat of my old black Mustang before rounding the car to get into the drivers seat.

"What brought that on?" I examined Evelyn again, keeping my eyes on the road and her almost reaching PCH.

"The video, I think." Evelyn said shyly rolling the window down just as Chocolate by The 1975 came on the radio.

"I love this!"

"Really?" She raised her eyebrows at me.

"What? It's a good song! I know they're not AC/DC."

"No, they're not AC/DC!"

"Okay... I actually quite liked it." Evelyn smirked and muttered at the same time by the time the song had faded out and the radio DJ started to blather on about the top forty chart.

I chuckled happily at her words.

"Did you want to stop by Stark?"

"Oh god no. Unnecessary fuss in front of old boring men, I'll pass. Just take me home, please."

Once inside the mansion I really got a good look at how she was now. Still a little pale but some colour had appeared back to her lips, Evelyn had faint purple circles under her bourbon eyes.

She almost immediately collapsed onto the couch sighing as the drew a fur blanket from the back of it.

_... ... ... ... _

_Evelyn POV. _

The warmth took over me instantly from the fur blanket. It made me realise how awful I felt, I was still a little shaky and felt weak.

"Shall I go?" Uriah grabbed my attention with his casual stance leaning against the door frame. I didn't want him to go, no. Not trusting my voice right now I sufficed a shake of the head. Did that please him?

"I'll have to kick you out before my parents get home though," I muttered, trying to keep my sights on the TV screen.

"No problem."

I took this little opportunity to 'fully assess' him, or how I felt. It's difficult to be like 'yep, he's the one for me' when I haven't felt like this about anyone before. There had been little flings and an occasional kiss at a party but nothing ever serious that I could compare this to. As far as I was concerned I hadn't really had my first proper kiss - not with someone I really liked or made me realise the little flings I had had were just powered by lust more on the guys behalf too.

Uriah could have anyone though. All of the girls at school were at his beck and call.

I wasn't madly in love with Uriah as yet, but it'd probably come around in the end.

Is it strange I'm liking a guy who's younger than me?

Is it bizarre I like him although he's my best friend of fifteen years? Though I'm still so confused. I'm not a hundred percent sure if I like him or not.

"So, no girl then?" I lazily smiled up at hit again from our places on the couch. He had tucked me under his arm again.

"What? Why do you keep asking me that?" Uriah half laughed half groaned, pinching my side playfully releasing a tingly amazing feeling coursing through my veins.

"'Cause I don't understand how you haven't got a girlfriend." Oh no, the rise of temperature in my cheeks told me I was blushing, I didn't dare look at him.

"Guess I haven't found the right person for me yet."

... ... ... ... ...

"EVS?!"

"Oh Jesus!" I groaned for dad's shout shocked me right out of sleep. After I kicked Uriah out I crawled into bed with a massive cup of herbal tea, I hugged and sipped it religiously. I loved my herbal tea after long and stressful days. It made me drowsy earlier I thought about turning Adventure Time off but before I moved a muscle I was barely aware of my body sinking slowly into my plumped pillows and thick duvet as if it were quick sand and my eyes closing slowly with an unceremonious yawn.

"JARVIS tell 'em I'll be down in a bit."

"Certainly, miss."

Before I reluctantly went downstairs I changed out of jeans cussing from the red lines on my skin from sleeping in them.

I took a little time in my en suit to remove my make up slowly, realising how shit I looked. Roughly, I pulled my lengthy hair out of my face tying it into a messy pony tail. My bangs still hanging down loose and then finally changing into the cosiest clothes I could find.

I languidly made my way downstairs stopping by Rowan's room on the way when I heard the dull melody of him playing the guitar.

"Hey, little brother."

"Hi, everything okay now?" Rowan obviously noticed how horrible I looked for his expression turned soft. We weren't exactly like usual brother and sister; I mean we got on really well abnormally so, some said. I really cared for him and always did right by Rowan. At least he'd have a big sister to talk to when some girl troubles occurred, which they always probably will. Sometimes Rowan was a bit of a 'babe magnet' although he never really noticed or would ever admit it if he did. When we did fight it was never very nice and usually resulted in mom or dad, or both in some cases, banishing us to different points of the mansion so we didn't start ripping at each others throats on the floor.

"Some tea therapy and I'll be good... Nice tune by the way." I shook my empty mug up in the air for his examination before winking and leaving the room.

I spotted mom in the kitchen prepping dinner I think. She multitasked cooking with reading over her notes from the meeting and her checking her blackberry. The clatter of my mug clashing against other china and metal kitchen ware things (like plates and cutlery) into the dishwasher made her whip around.

"Heya, momma."

"Oh, Hi! C'mere!" Mom abandoned the peppers and tomatoes she was cutting up leaving the knife to clatter down on the marble work surface. I was met halfway by mom catching me in a really tight hug. "What happened, sweetie? I know you don't like needles but..- Well, you never know do you? You should have called straight away."

I inwardly sighed straight away.

"I'm okay! You and dad had that huge meeting and I hardly wanted to pull you out so Uriah drove me home," Mom pulled me back gently. A hand instinctively flew up to my forehead. "No fever. Must've been a funny turn, huh?"

"Your telling me. I've no idea what happened."

"At least we know you won't be a drug junkie." Mom laughed lightly trying to cheer me up a little.

"Oh, mom." I groaned.

My attention soon got grabbed from our chat by a plump Manilla envelope on the kitchen worktop, with a logo I recognised.

"Ah-This came for you today." Mom grinned handing it over to me.

"What is it? MIT? Again?" I mumbled mostly to myself as I opened it.

In fact, MIT had been offering me countless places every semester, they seemed so desperate for me to enrol there they even offered for a highly qualified teacher to come and tutor me from home seeing as we had all of the facilities, materials, equipment and some materials even schools like MIT found it hard to get hold of. I'd been seriously considering it too. Nothing was holding me back.. Nothing except for Uriah but I see him loads anyway. This could be great for me, couldn't it?

"What are you thinking? Just like your father, the cogs are already turning." Mom looked over my shoulder. Her hand firmly on my back.

"I don't know. What do you think?" I said absentmindedly skimming over the letters pleads.

"Your old enough to make your own decisions. But think about it seriously now. Evelyn, this could be an amazing opportunity for you."

"I know what you mean... Could I hack it though?"

"I know you could. Maybe you should go speak to your dad, he graduated at nineteen. Plus he's dying to know what happened." Mom spoke running her fingers maternally through my swishing pony tail.

"Will do, thanks mom."

I moved through the vast amount of rooms in the house until I found myself at the top of white stair case where I guessed dad was working on some tech.

I discovered him pouring all ounces of his concentration into a solitary piece of metal.

Once at the bottom of the pristine white stairs, I punched my code in and wrenched the glass door out of my way.

_... ... ... ..._

_Tony POV._

"Hi, daddy." I heard from behind me through the general whiz and buzz of power tools assisting me in curving this piece of titanium alloy. Today had been a very long day along with spending hours on end in the same room and monotone voices drone on about some things I could've simply cared less about.

When I got the interesting voicemail from Evelyn's school about Evelyn blacking out in class I was immediately alarmed, of course I was. She was and will always be my baby girl.

I could never really believe how much she had grown. How much she reminded me of Pepper. How much she could be like me.

Then, I'd always fall back all the way into those memories I had. Feeling her kick for the first time encased well within her mother's place of safe keeping for nine long months. My heart never failed to swell in my chest when I remembered her saying 'Da-da' for the first time too, in the Tower in New Mexico when she impatiently demanded my attention, Evelyn's little hands pounding on the couch's soft material as she wanted me to hold her all those years ago. A newly turned sixteen year old I found it hard to believe how fast she was growing up.

So when I heard her gentle voice behind me my heart filled with compassionate worry.

"Hey, darlin'."

"You busy or are you okay for a chat?" She asked, leaning against the door frame holding the door open.

"Anything for you. What do you need?" I waved her over. Evelyn motioned to the grey couch in the far corner next to the bar and the jukebox. The exact location I had appointed Pepper CEO of Stark Industries. I happily complied, smiling when she settled down on the couch with me. Evelyn squidged herself up against my side, swinging her legs over mine just as my arm curled around her shoulders comfortably.

"So what happened today?" I asked the question eating me up slowly.

"No idea, we were just watching a drug video, I felt really sick and I passed out." Evelyn heavily exhaled lying her head on my shoulder.

"Wasn't anything like-uh um. How can I put it sensitively? Oh god-uh. Women's... Troubles? Is that okay wording? I don't want to... It's just that- I mean I've heard it runs you down a lot and-uh..." I felt my face heat up a little as I ran my thumb awkwardly along my eye brow and noted Evelyn's sceptical expression mixed with hilarity that her father was trying to discuss that -gah, monthly thing...

"Just shush a second. Dad, you don't need to.. Y'know- mention that. I love you and everything, but seriously that's more of a mom thing." Evelyn spoke quite seriously but failed to keep her composure as a tiny laugh spluttered through her lips anyway.

"Right. Sorry. You feel okay now, then?"

"I'm okay. That's fine... Anyway, moving on," She shot me a worried look before reaching around to snatch a manila envelope from beside her. "I got this."

"This being?" I asked but still proceeded to open it. My eyes quickly skimmed over the very familiar information on the high quality paper. This letter sounded very familiar too they were practically begging for Evelyn to enrol there, just like how they were when I received the letter. I raised my eyebrows at my daughter.

"I'd have to send a letter and apply properly like everyone else and if I'm up to standard they said I can enrol next semester in a few weeks." Evelyn babbled in the little amount of silence while I gave a once over all of the forms.

"You want to go?"

"Sure. I really do, I can't stay in crappy high school when they're offering me a place where I can put all I know to use and make something of my self... Why do you think it's a bad idea? Oh god, I'm being really dim, aren't I? I couldn't hack it there." She sighed pulling the forms out of my hands, stood, stuffing them back into their envelope and rubbed her forehead with the palm of her hand just like Pepper did.

"No way, go for it. You're not dim, Evelyn so don't even pull that card." I stood a millisecond after her and put my hands on her shoulders.

Rowan appeared in the door way, telling us he did so with the swish of the door.

"What's happening?"

"Nothing-"

"Your sister's about to go and write up her letter application for MIT, aren't you, sweet?" I interrupted her with a grin.

"And I was just telling dad, I don't think I can cut it there." Evelyn ruffled Rowan's hair sighing as she looked down at the envelope.

"You so should! I saw you the other weekend down here re-building a Ferrari engine." Rowan cocked his eye brow at Evelyn, obviously thinking how silly she was for doubting herself.

"Okay, I'll apply." Evelyn held her hands up in mock surrender walking out of the room, I watched her until she disappeared from sight.

"Right kid, shall we carry on with the Hot Rod?" I asked Rowan cheekily taking him under my wing, guiding him towards my father's old car.

"Only if you let me try on say... Mark... 5?"

I just snorted, "When you join the Navy as a fighter pilot, kiddo. Maybe then you can try it on."

"Mark… Um.. 2?" He groaned when I shook my head, shaking with laughter, "C'mon! When was the last time you used Mark 2?!"


	17. Chapter 17 : Acceptance

_A/N: Bit of a short chapter, right? Oh well, I've given you two in one night... _

_I'm putting up a warning for chapter 18 , it involves a forced sexual nature. I don't want to reveal the story line. But if it'll affect/offend you please ignore it! Plus... __EVELYN IS __NOT A WHORE!_

_REVIEW ME SEEING AS I'VE BEEN REALLY, REALLY NICE AND PUT TWO UP EVEN THOUGH WE DIDNT REACH FORTY REVIEWS!XXX_

_Chapter 17 : Acceptance._

_Evelyn POV._

Today was hopefully the day I would receive a letter from MIT. It had been two weeks since I sent off all of the necessary forms and letters all that was left to do is wait.

I'd told Uriah the day after I posted my application... And then regretted it. We had a huge heated fight about it, I was so shocked at this. I thought he would be happy for me but instead Uriah turned into this sulky little brat or like a puppy it's owner had left at home all day. I too, quickly turned sour as well at the lack of congratulations or well done's and frankly his stinking attitude. So finally when I asked him what in Gods name what the problem was he totally flew off the handle!

I was seriously astonished he could be so selfish, shouting his mouth off about me being inconsiderate! Me?! I'm trying to set myself up with a good future, and if MIT offer me a place why the hell shouldn't I take it?

So now he hated me. And I kind of hated him back. My opinion of him was tainted in result of our first horrible argument. What an arse.

I didn't want to hurt Uriah, but seeing as we weren't talking someone else became really chatty in the midst of my miserable moods and made me feel happy again. I know I must sound like such a slut, moving from one guy to another but he was so nice!

His name was Cameron, an intern at Stark Industries originally from England. Cameron even met me after school for a Starbucks trip and a good chat. I was surprised when he asked for my number, though I sensed a growing suspicion in the house. Especially when Dad caught me smiling and biting my lip at his sweet text. It pleased me even more when Cameron kissed me after he walked me home.

Cameron was definition of gorgeous, his beautifully defined cheek bones and jaw, his sandy mop of hair framed his green eyes shielded behind black rimmed glasses.

I really didn't want dad to find out his intern slash assistant was partly seeing his daughter.

Again, I found myself in my mom's office.

"Sorry, sweetie. Can you go and photocopy these for me?" Mom asked occupied by all of the documents she was looking over. I got up more than eagerly with the hope of intercepting Cameron.

"Yeah, that's fine!" _Oops! Sounded too keen then_, I thought to myself.

Just as I thought I caught Cameron coming out of my dads office. Surprisingly he wordlessly followed me into the Reprographics room and kicked the door shut behind him, showering me with a heart melting smile.

"What are you doing in here?" I asked suspiciously. Putting the paper into the photocopy machine and pressing the button.

"Seeing you, Is that okay?" Cameron mumbled. Not talking loudly for two reasons ; one there were people right outside. Two he had been pressing kisses to my neck gently.

"Uh... I suppose so."

I was turned around suddenly and pressed against the photocopying machine. Cameron's lips captured mine in a fierce kiss.

"We shouldn't be... Oh, I don't care." I gasped just as I felt my body being lifted onto the counter where tea and coffee supplies were kept along with a kettle. My arms and legs went off acting on their own accord, my legs quickly rose and latched around his hips and my hands jumped upwards. My fingers raking through his hair, dishevelling it lightly.

A part of me was terrified someone would walk in, or worse dad or mom would walk in.

The kiss got heat really quickly making me into a bit of a flustered mess.

Cameron was more than eager, he obviously wanted more and changed the kiss's territory; I got that message from his hand crawling up the back of my t-shirt. I didn't mind this at first as my slightly shaky hands had already undone a few of the buttons on his shirt. But what made me push him away was the fact Cameron had begun to un-do the button on my skinny jeans.

"No, what are you doing?" I continued to push him away, buttoning my jeans back up.

"I'm sorry! Sorry, I thought-"

"That we could like-have sex in the reprographics room on the same floor that my dad works on?" I exclaimed. If I'm totally honest Cameron undoing my jeans button wasn't the only thing that made me pull away. Uriah was.

"Right. Sorry.. Again."

I silently yet furiously left Cameron in the reprographics room after collecting my mom's photocopies. I walked back into mom's office to find her and dad bickering after mentally telling myself to remember to text Cameron later to end it.

"Where've you been?" Dad asked suspiciously.

"Doing this, that okay? Free country isn't it?" I shot back, handing mom the stack of photocopies, she thanked me.

"My company and building!" He laughed going to walk out.

"Soon to be mine, old man!"

... ... ... ... ...

Here I was. Staring at the brown un-opened envelope addressed to me from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

I was so nervous to find out my fate, I knew this was my last moment of uncertainty, my last moment of knowing whether I can do what I really want to do or not, go where I really want to go and make something of myself.

I had the kitchen to myself, Mom was having a coffee with Aunty Nat at her place (probably discussing how they had no idea what was going on between Uriah and I.) , Dad was downstairs in the workshop and Rowan was with Uncle Rhodey down at the Military Base checking out the fighter jets again.

Sometimes I worry about my little brother, he was so keen to join the Navy and be a fighter pilot it scared me hence him spending all his free time with Uncle Rhodey. I think all of us were worried, mom, dad and I. The only thought that comforted us was time and infact how much time we had on our hands. Four more years until he'd probably turn up from the recruitment office kitted out in a new uniform all ready to train up.

Gulping one last clean, refreshing bubble of air down my throat I began ripping the flap of the envelope with my trembling fingers. When- I heard mom's engine down stairs.

"Mom?" I shouted, hoping she'd hear me. No answer. So I went downstairs slowly, still flipping over the envelope in my hands determined to know every crevice and corner of the tough paper before finding out the contents.

I waved the envelope out for them both to spot going down the stairs before entering into a room of silence and apprehension.

"Do you- Have you opened it?" Dad broke the ice a few minuets later. Making us all jump a little from the taciturnity being punctured by words. I shook my head, walking over to collapse onto the grey couch in the corner. Without thinking, I tore it open.

And skimmed over the letter.

"What does it say, honey?" Mom asked sweetly. I only had to run my eyes over the formal letter so many times before I picked up the words 'accepted' , 'begin next semester' , 'privileged to have you.'. Holy -... I was going to MIT...

Ahead of me speaking a few trespassing tears made their presence known as they cascaded down my cheeks.

"Aw, sweetheart! You know what? Don't worry about that school, there's plenty more Ivy League ones if you want somewhere like that, it'll be okay! I promise you that, or you can re-apply for next year." Mom quickly took my tears the wrong way and hugged me, she took the letters out of my hands not even bothering to look at them. Mom tossed them down onto the glass coffee table before taking me back into her arms.

"Hang on a-"

"Pepper, quit trying to make Evelyn feel better and maybe start with the congratulations?" Dad chuckled reading the letter. He shot me a beaming, watery, pride filled smile. As soon as mom released me confused and reaching out for the letter I leapt over to dad who caught me mid jump, we both hugged each other really tightly. In the meantime, he whispered how proud he was of me and how much he loved me.

"I love you too, Daddy." I wept happily into his chest beside the arc reactor.

"Oh, wow! Evelyn you're starting next semester!" Mom cried as well, laughing at her silly misjudgement.

"I know! That's like what- 5 weeks?" Mom and I shared an emotional hug.

... ... ... ... ... ...

Later on we had a bit of a celebration on the Mansion's outside area, it was the perfect evening. The sun was beginning to set, it streamed through everyone's champagne glasses.

I was grateful to each person who was here, except one person who was not here. Uriah hadn't come. Not that I expected him to turn up on the doorstep happy for me because I knew how much he hate me he said it himself, I was being selfish in leaving him, inconsiderate in moving on with my life without him.

I was really happy at the prospect of my bright looking future but the person I wanted was him. Understanding how I felt about him was difficult though sometimes I got myself so wrapped up in my own little teenage hormone bubble the feelings overwhelmed me too much.

I excused myself to my room after a while of trying to be really happy. A faint knock sounded at the door.

"Yeah?" I responded sitting on the edge of my bed, knees drawn upto my chest and my arms wrapped around my legs.

"You okay, Evs?" Rowan appeared in the doorway.

"Yeah. Did you have fun?" I asked patting the spot on my bed beside me.

"Yeah! Uncle Rhodey took me down to the harbour where all of the Navy ships are."

"Sounds like fun." I sighed looking to the floor.

"Really fun actually. Why are you cooped up in here?"

"I don't know, just feeling a little up and down I guess." Rowan obviously took in how I was muttering and my heartsick disposition.

"Is it 'cause he's not here? The argument?" Rowan timidly questioned, bumping my side gently to get my attention.

"Why do you say that? Wha-Has he said anything to you?"

"No. I've seen the way you look at him, Evelyn. I may not be an expert in all of this but I sure as hell know what I'm looking at."

"So what are you saying, Rowan?" I looked dead pan at him.

"You like him. Like him, like him." Rowan raised his eye brows sceptically at me before getting up to leave.

"Hey! So, four more years until you can join the army then?" I smirked ignoring his previous statement.

"Yeah."

"You really want to?"

"I really do, Evelyn. I hope everyone will grow to understand why."

"I'm always 'gonna be proud of you little bro." I stood up and joined him at the doorway. Rowan ginned when I took my hands to his cheeks and kissed the messy hair over hanging his forehead.


	18. Chapter 18 : Thief of Innocence

_WARNING : THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS THEMES OF VIOLENCE IN A SEXUAL NATURE, IF THIS AFFECTS YOU PLEASE DON'T READ OR BAD MOUTH IT. _

_A/N: Anywaaaay... Hey :-) I feel really nervous for your reviews on this one! I don't want to say this was the reason for the sequel, but it is the big event I have been building upto and planning for a while. Please don't bad mouth this chapter because it's unneeded, if 7you find this offencive, fine, this is the only thing of this nature that will be appearing in this story. _

**_REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER PLEASE!_**

_I hope you like it? :-) _

_Chapter 18 : Thief of Innocence._

_(Two Weeks Later.)_

_Tony POV. _

Flying along the horizon was always an experience like no other. Besides the fear and adrenaline that spikes your blood to boiling point; the skyline sights are amazing. The best kind of flying in the suit is always along the pacific coast of Malibu. The sun makes the ocean shimmer, your reflexion is rippled always making me want to dip my armour clad hand into the water if it didn't result in me plummeting down into the sea bed like an iron rock.

The team and I had just gone on a mission. If you ask me, the best part of said missions was always the flying home part with minimal injuries. In my own opinion I don't believe revealing the fact I was Iron Man to the world over was a terrible idea. Yeah, sure the idea popped into my head when I was stood up on that podium with Rhodey whispering agitatedly at me to read out the patronizing black coloured text on the cards. All in all, I don't think the worst has happened as yet. A few people have had vendettas, okay but I'm still standing, aren't I?

Curiosity still reeked within me as to where that irritating little sod Justin Hammer had disappeared to; apparently off the face of the earth according to the amounts of time we've seen him from the hospital snafu. But hey, I'll blow his brains sky high if I ever see him again.

_... ... ... ... ..._

_{Simultaneously.}_

_Rowan POV._

"Oh my god, Evelyn!" I covered my mouth laughing into it as the hot rod red and the dulled gold titanium alloy gauntlet flew from across the room from one of the work benches in the shop forcing me to duck, we both stared at each other in amazement, sock and then slight terror at the sight of the gauntlet's separate plates of metal latching onto one other around her hand and forearm. Mind you, this was a huge misunderstanding!

Evelyn and I only came down here with mom's permission to work on the Harley Davidson for something to do seeing as dad was on a mission and mom was packing for her business trip to London. The bloody gauntlet was like a magnet! Instantly when Evelyn raised her hand to push some hair out of the way it flew across the room quickly settled around her arm and now the flight stabilizer was lit with a bright white light. Looking like it was about to-

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit! Ow!" Evelyn yelled as it fired up launching her across the room and beaming light up towards the ceiling, leaving a gaping hole that was visible once the dust had settled.

The two of us exchanged a look of pure fright when we were the familiar sound of dad flying in the suit near by.

Clang! He landed. It was like a freeze frame or a comic book strip, we all paused. Dad flipped up his faceplate and averted his attention to each thing. Me, doubling over, chortling with uncontrollable laughter, the hole in the ceiling, and then Evelyn pulling herself up from the floor awkwardly trying to get debris out from her hair with out pulling clumps out, the gauntlet still firmly attached.

"Explain." Was the solitary word to come from dad's mouth. He stood there, arms crossed, eye brow cocked waiting for someone to say something.

"It was an accident!" Evelyn huffed, trying to pull the gauntlet off of her. "It's freaking stuck now!"

"JARVIS." Dad said and the gauntlet released Evelyn from it's hold in an instance.

"Oh thanks! What was that?!" Evelyn asked starting to walk back over to it after dad set it down on the work bench. He put his hand on her shoulder, trying not to smirk.

"New tech, it's an Extremis nano technology. Now get up those stairs before your mom hunts us down."

Dad herded us out of the workshop obviously trying not to curse profoundly at the hole in the ceiling.

_... ... ... ... ..._

_Pepper POV._

_**BOOM! **_

The loud boom from below my almost made me jump out of my skin. Living in a house like this you tend to stop questioning weird happenings once you stop to realise you live in a house with Tony Stark... And two hormonal teenagers.

I was packing for a big business trip in London, England. I really hoped Tony would be back before I left in a few hours.

"Can I talk you out of going one last time?" Tony's voice sounded behind me, I smiled, before I could drop the small stack of pencil skirts and blouses onto the bed, Tony entered my sight sitting in front of me on the bed beside my half full suitcase.

"Sorry, no," I said sternly but leaned down to kiss him anyway. When I pulled away he pouted. "So quick mission?"

"Surprisingly so but stop changing the subject."

"Tony, I'm not changing the subject. I'm just saying this is an important meeting with the UK's leading sustainable clean energy company. How great would it be if we could get a foot up in the UK?"

"Yeah, yeah. Great. I'll be lonely without you, Pepper!" Tony pouted again, grapping me by the hips.

"Lonely? Without me? Tony you have the kids, JARVIS, Rhodey if you want some guy time ooh and Natasha and Clint? Bruce could keep you company if you want a hand in the workshop. Steve? Or you could always y'know put in some hours at the office?" I finished my packing and got tugged onto Tony's lap sideways.

"Did you just suggest Legolas as means of company? And Steve, Pepper? Steve?" Tony groaned.

"You will be okay! Just call me if anyones dying... Or if you want some company." I let my arms interlock around his neck.

"Just so you know I wasn't the one to blow a whole in the ceiling." Tony kissed me again and flipped me forwards onto him pulling me downwards onto the bed against his chest as he kissed me over my mixed reactions of giggles and 'I have to finish packing's'

_... ... ... ... ..._

_Evelyn POV. _

I had my goodbye party tonight, at first it was just a regular house party my friends arranged only when I told them about me transferring to MIT it got turned into a good luck party.

It was going to be an amazing night with all of my friends, minus one who had been ignoring me since I had told Uriah about 'leaving him'.

Mom left before I did, though she seemed a little reluctant to go stalling with the fact that she thought she had a bad feeling about something. We (Dad, Rowan and I) hurried mom out of the door, handing her off to Happy.

So two hours later when Lucy, one of my closest friends knocked on the door I was super excited she was here so we could help each other get ready.

Being girls, the getting ready process took a while and by eight we were quite giggly from some of the peach snaps, coke and vodka and Malibu and coke.

The party was awesome, obviously! A lot of time was spent dancing and drinking but I managed to make myself a few coffee's before walking home at quarter to twelve at night.

Walking home by myself from a friends house always gave me the spooks now more than ever when the eerie silence settled over the darkened, deserted route I took with nothing but the sound of my foot steps to keep me company whenever fear prickled through my veins. Trees and bushes rustled around me every now and then accelerating my anxiety.

I took the slightly more secluded route when I saw a group of men crowding the idyllic route for me; on the side of the road by the coast, not to far from my house. Uriah lived not too far from where I walked right now.

Taking the deserted pathway in between closed shops and dumpsters I sensed someone behind me.

I risked it every now and then to whip my head around trying to decipher who was skulking in the shadows behind me. I wished more than anything I could have gotten a clear look at him. All I could pick out through the thick pitch black blanket of the late night lying underneath a consolation of stars was how well dressed he was ; wearing a suit.

I freaked out slightly when he not only rolled his sleeves up but sped up as well. I quickly rounded the nearest corner not caring it was the opposite direction to my house, I only felt raw desperation to shake him off. He didn't. I hadn't managed to loose him.

Suddenly, out of no where, a pair of hands took me. A strong one muffling over my mouth, muting the unrecognisable distressed, panicked cries eliciting from my vocal cords, and another closing roughly around my waist. Being dragged into the bushes behind me I tried to put up as much fuss as I could humanly manage. Kicking, punching, writhing in his grip.

"No! No! Get off! Let me-" Was all I could shout hoarsely for the brief time his hand moved away from my mouth until he threw me down onto the grassy terrain below me. Thick branches and vegetation circled around me making a little clearing. In the middle of no where.

I lunged up once more absolutely terrified, only to plummet back down. This time underneath him. Now I took the chance to get a good look. Shit... It was Justin Hammer.

He went slowly, pinning me down with my hands firmly locked in between his above my head. Justin pressed dirty, foul, unwanted kisses all over my exposed flesh. Even on my lips, where I choked on my tears against his lips.

"Oh, it's okay sweetheart. Just a little revenge. Just lay still and make me happy." Justin said bitterly wiping some of the many flowing tears away from my cheeks. I started struggling. Again, again and again.

I even managed to hit him off for a second, yet only achieved a few sprints before he caught me again. Thwacking me down with a deafening sound, something warm, rushed and sticky pooled at the back of my head where it collided with the cold, hard ground. I cried out in pain.

My muscles ached from trying to fight him off, but he was much stronger than me. And the things he was beginning to do told me what was in store. All I could do is position my head away from him as Justin had his wicked way with my body.

Justin sank his teeth into my neck aggressively, making my body writhe again, I'm pretty sure he drew blood. But the hickey he left marked me as his property.

I cried harder at his heavy handed touch everywhere. Across my chest. His kisses across my collar bones, teeth sinking in again and again on my neck drawing blood as if he were a vampire and I was his prey. Panic arose when I heard his hands fumbling with his trouser belt.

"Please. Don't do this. Please." I pathetically whispered at the feeling of his confident fingers yanking down my tights, hiking up my dress and pulling my underwear down. I shrieked and screamed. Without any words he managed to swiftly shut me up with a long shining silver blade held to my throat.

"Now. Your not going to say another word or I'll run this through you, okay?" Justin threatened, his nose nothing but an inch away from mine. I had to nod. Nod or be stabbed. Nod and let him do it.

I lay as still as I could through the excruciating pain he inflicted upon me, my body involuntarily flinching and jerking. It was hard to. This was the worst imaginable pain anyone could experience. Just when I thought the pain had gone; it shot straight back through me again as his heavy breath and face thrust it's self back into view. I tried to not think but think at the same time as I made my nails make contact with the skin of his neck, digging down hard to make sure I got enough blood under my fingernails. It didn't seem to make a damned bit of difference to him; he was too caught up in his assault on me.

He was tearing me up. Each of his lust filled movements tore me up, burned my innocence. Changed me. Taking my virginity away from me in the worst, most evil, painful way I could ever have imagined.

He emptied himself into me, making me cringe and sob helplessly. Justin zipped and buckled his trousers back up then made a speedy exit, running around the nearest corner until his footsteps vanished into the night and thankfully away from me.

Still in disbelief of what had just happened to me, I forced myself to cover myself up again, not just my decency but the trickling blood down my legs.

The only thing my trembling body could manage was crying. Sobbing. Weeping until I couldn't breathe.

Next thing, I found myself sitting on the highway's curb. My body destroyed and the good time a few hours ago totally gone. Justin Hammer; a thief of my innocence.

_... ... ... ... ... ..._

_Natasha POV._

Doing the late shift at Stark Industries wasn't so bad especially when you know you have a husband (even though we're not married), a kid and a nice family home in Malibu to return to. It wasn't like I was going to be afraid in a big, dark building, so naturally, I didn't mind doing the later hours.

Driving at a new reformed mom-Romanoff speed, I thought I saw something or rather someone. Taking the chance I pulled over and hesitantly got out, walking closer to the balled up form sitting awkwardly on the highway's curb.

The girl (must have been a girl from what she was wearing) without a doubt heard or sensed me approaching her hesitantly and shot up, backing away from me with a terrified look.

"Aunty Nat?" She choked out in between sobs.

"Evelyn?!"

It was Evelyn. I got the chance to get a good look at her thanks to the streetlamps white luminosity casting a ghostly light across her skin. Evelyn's cheeks were almost stained completely black from the make-up trails cascading downwards, her black tights were torn at the thighs badly but the rips continued down the length of her legs, revealing dribbles of blood slowly making their way down to her knees. A lot more blood was visible on her neck and hands. It looked like she had been bitten? The way she stared at me was unrecognisable with the up most terror and fear. Evelyn knows I would never hurt her?

Her dress showed grass stains and small tears from where she stood quaking in her shoes.

"What happened, Evs?" I asked softly holding my arms out for her. Evelyn backed away a few steps before seemingly trusting me and limply coming closer until she collapsed in my arms a fresh new wave of tears breaking out.

"Why are you out here?" I asked again when she didn't respond.

"It was him." Evelyn uttered in a broken whisper.

"Who? What did he do to you, sweetie?" I already feared the answer.

"R- . It was Hammer." Evelyn cried harder into my shoulder.

I took Evelyn home with me, supposing she would rather be with a woman rather than two men. I wasn't entirely sure that was what she wanted though, Evelyn was unbelievable quiet.

I tried to stay calm even though my god-daughter had just told me that that bastard Justin Hammer had raped her.

I twisted the key silently to the front door guiding her inside. Evelyn helplessly silently cried with her head bowed she was still in utter disbelief. I was grateful no one was awake. Clint's snores seemed to echo through the house from the highest point of our house conversion, the renovated attic come bedroom. Though it was kind of obvious Uriah was asleep otherwise he would be up and buzzing around doing something active.

Unfortunately, Evelyn couldn't wash or anything because it would be removing evidence, so I sat her down at the kitchen table with a steaming cup of tea whilst I fumbled around for Tony's number.

"Mom?" Uriah's sleepy voice nearly gave me a heart attack, whipping around I spotted him in the door way looking half asleep. His t-shirt and pyjama pants crinkled from sleep.

"Hi, honey. Go back to bed, yeah? It's late." I rubbed his shoulder trying to gently nudge him out of the room.

"I was getting a drink. What's going on? Evelyn?" Uriah yawned. Evelyn glanced up at him before returning her attention to the table again. Uriah's eyes widened with shock and disbelief. His eyes scanning over the blood and tears.

"Uriah, bed." I said sternly, but the out of character look I got from him told me he wouldn't be budging.

"Hey," He said, touching Evelyn's shoulder. She flinched staring up at him with wide eyed-terror for a minuet. After taking in who it was she relaxed a little giving him the tiniest watery smile, though no hint of happy emotion touched her eyes or posture. "What happened, huh? Who did this to you?"

It was then I saw it. The way he looked at her, the way my son couched down in front of my god-daughter, the way he gently took her hands in his, rubbing gently to generate some comforting heat.

The way he treated her reminded me of how Clint treats me. I think he loves her. That's why they haven't been talking, Uriah was immensely upset they wouldn't be spending hardly anytime together once Evelyn transferred to MIT, over the past few weeks Uriah had moped around; and now I knew why.

"Honey?" I said waiting until he turned around and waved him from the room, stopping in the living room with him hot on my heels.

"Mom, please don't tell me someone ra-"

"Yes, they did. Oh sweetheart, it wasn't just anyone, it was Justin Hammer." I whispered cutting him off. Uriah fell against the back of the couch; his head immediately falling into his hands.

"This is all my fault."

"No; this isn't your fault. How could you say that? Sweetie, don't blame yourself." Protesting against his statement, I took his face in my hands and pressed a loving kiss to my son's forehead.

"'Cause if I hadn't of started that stupid, petty argument I probably would have been there to make sure she got home alright." Uriah sighed heading back to the kitchen. From around the corner I watched them. Watched Evelyn shakily allow Uriah to sit closely beside her, tightly holding her hand in his.


	19. Chapter 19

_A/N: Hello :-)_

_I have a confession... I'm sorry for not updating in such a long time! I've been really scared of putting these chapters up so I've been cowerdly! Sorry! _

_Thankyou so much for the amount of reviews that were positive for chaoter 18, oh my god I hardly expected nice ones let alone the amount I got! I love you all please continue to review like that again!_

**_Um a little question : I need to know how far you want to see this go? Marriage? Kids? Their own jobs ect? A Clintasha wedding? Let me know either in PM or your reviews!_**

_And hang in there with me ; PEPPERONY CHAPTERS COMING UP AND DRAMA! DONE THE PEPPERONY A WHILE A GO FOR YOU, NOW I NEED TO DO THE DRAMAM... HELP!_

_PLEASE CONTINUE TO REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW IF YOU WANT TO HELP ME OVERCOME MY FEARS AND U[DATE AGAIN! AHAHAH! RRREEEVVVIIIEEEWWW!_

_X_

_Chapter 19 : Broken Sobs And Gasping For Breath._

_Carrying on..._

_Natasha POV._

"Honey?" I said waiting until he turned around and waved him from the room, stopping in the living room with him hot on my heels.

"Mom, please don't tell me someone ra-"

"Yes, they did. Oh sweetheart, it wasn't just anyone, it was Justin Hammer." I whispered cutting him off desperate for him not to say the word. Uriah fell against the back of the couch; his head immediately falling into his hands.

"This is all my fault."

"No; this isn't your fault. How could you say that? Sweetie, don't blame yourself." Protesting against his statement, I took his face in my hands and pressed a loving kiss to my son's forehead.

"'Cause if I hadn't of started that stupid, petty argument I probably would have been there to make sure she got home alright." Uriah sighed heading back to the kitchen.

From around the corner I watched them. Watched Evelyn shakily allow Uriah to sit closely beside her, tightly holding her hand in his.

God, they're so blind to each other. How could they not see how smitten they are?

I dreaded calling Tony but it had to be done, Evelyn would have to go to hospital to get checked over, gather evidence for the police and STD checks.

Tony picked up on the fifth ring, growling angrily and tiredly.

"This better be good, Romanoff."

"It's urgent, Tony. You need to come round here now." I quietly pleaded, mouthing 'You're dad' to Evelyn who gratefully nodded. Walking back out of the room, I began to fill Tony in.

"I really don't know how to tell you, Tony. I need you to come round here and pick Evelyn up. She-uh. Was raped by Hammer. I found her on the highway and brought her back here."

Tony didn't say anything for a few minuets, only choking out strangled breaths. And muttered an almighty angry "bastard" under his breath before gathering his voice once more.

"I'm on my way."

_... ... ... ... ... ..._

_Uriah POV._

"I am so sorry." I whispered turning to face her. Sorry I had started this whole argument. Sorry that this had happened to her.

"I don't want to talk about it now. Just forget it and we can move on. I miss you too much." She muttered back. When I opened my mouth to respond, Uncle Tony (I presumed) banged on the door.

_... ... ... ... ..._

_Natasha POV. _

When Tony banged on the door, I literally ran to get it.

"Please don't tell me you were telling the truth." Tony boldly stated looking absolutely heart stricken and angry beyond belief, which was understandable.

"I'm so sorry. I wish I was. Come through." I stepped to the side and held the door open. Shutting it behind him I lead him through to the kitchen, slightly scared for Clint's snoring had stopped and I didn't want Evelyn to be surrounded by men all of a sudden.

"Evs, sweetie? Your dad's here." I spoke softly putting my hand carefully on her shoulder. Evelyn turned in her chair meeting Tony's eyes, his breath hitched when he saw the blood and the bites. Trying to stay calm for her sake only, when we all knew he would be on a rampage scouting out Hammer's ass and beating him senseless for what he did just like I wanted to do.

"Evelyn? Oh baby." He sighed sincerely catching her in a hug when she shakily stood up. This only caused her to cry quietly some more.

Uriah only looked to her with pure sympathy and protection in his eyes. Tony mouthed a 'thanks' to me and Uriah.

"Come on, the cars outside, darling." Tony wrapped both of his arms around Evelyn securely walking behind me to the front door. Saying goodbye, Evelyn let me hug her.

"Thanks, Aunty Nat."

"Whenever you need me, never hesitate to ask. You'll be okay, sweetheart." I kissed the side of her head lightly.

I watched until the car left the road and shut the door softly before turning to meet my son, hugging him tightly.

"Anyone ever tries to harm you, I give you my permission to kick them right in the balls, okay?"

"Sure thing, mom."

_... ... ... ... ..._

_Evelyn POV. _

The drive to the hospital was quiet. I didn't entirely want to go but I couldn't make myself put up much of a fight. Dad tried to comfort me in every way he could but the nice feeling only lasted a few seconds before moments of realisation flooded back.

"Where's Rowan?" I asked concerned.

"He's probably asleep, Happy's keeping an eye on him."

"Does he k-know?"

"Yeah. I had to wake him up before I left. I'm sorry." Dad lifted my hand up again from where ours lay tightly clasped on the seat to kiss my knuckles again.

"Not your fault."

In the hospital they took samples of everything including the blood under my nails. I just wanted to go home and scrub myself raw. Dad was a trooper the whole way through. Sitting half way behind me on the bed, telling me he loved me and being so supportive when the nurses needed to know what happened. I know what it must've felt like seeing your daughter on an hospital being examined for STD's. He quickly jogged back to the car, returning with a bag of sweats, hoodies and t-shirts I would want to be cosy in. The clothes I had worn were to be sent of for any more evidence. I hated wearing them, it took me back an hour and a bit to what happened. I wanted to burn them, rip them from the seams, anything that meant I wouldn't have to wear them. I never wanted to see them again.

"Ready to go?" He stepped over to support my weight again as I was discharged and the sympathetic nurses vanished.

I just nodded. The car ride home was quicker than the journey here, all I did was gaze out of the car window, wanting mom, and clinging onto dad's hand for dear life.

Once inside through the entry into the workshop, Dad told JARVIS to dismiss Happy immediately. Once JARVIS reported he was gone. I made my way upstairs quickly and into mom and dad's en suit to begin subbing off all of his finger prints and the blood. Each place his skin made contact with mine had to be scrubbed and cleansed, although I knew it wouldn't make me feel any cleaner or any purer.

_... ... ... ... ... ..._

_Tony POV._

Evelyn rushed up to mine and Pepper's en suit in the master bedroom for a deep cleanse. It was early hours of the morning by now and with Happy gone the house was silent except for the shower's rush of water and Rowan's light snores on the couch where he must have fallen asleep. Without a second thought I hoisted Rowan up into my arms. So deeply asleep he didn't stir.

I spent a little more time than I probably should have tucking the covers around Rowan protectively. Then some more time admiring his room until I could hear the water shut off.

The solar system projection onto his ceiling complete with a constellation of stars, asteroids, galaxies, milky ways and black holes always comforted me to view him soundly asleep underneath it. It wasn't so much of a child's bedroom just that it was a comfort for him and he hadn't wanted to change it yet.

"Goodnight, Rory." I whispered leaning down to press a kiss to his exposed cheek.

Slowly, I made my way back to my bedroom finding Evelyn emerging from the bathroom.

"Hey, sweetheart." I wrapped her in another hug, glad when she tightly hugged me back.

"I think I should go and sleep."

"Are you sure?" Carrying on when she nodded against my chest. "I'm 'gonna be there to help you through this. Every step. And never blame yourself for what happened and always remember how much I love you."

"I love you, too." She simply replied, her voice starting to shake again.

I quietly walked her back to her room, holding the covers back for her, tucking them in around her. Unbelievably relieved when she let me kiss her goodnight.

"Goodnight, darling. Try to sleep."

Led in my side of the bed, I couldn't sleep for Pepper's side was heart wrenchingly cold. I lay wide eyed staring at nothing for what seemed like hours. Hours of not being able to comprehend what that bastard had done to my child. _My daughter_. What was I going to tell Pepper? I'll tell her as soon as I could tomorrow. She would probably be on the plane by now with her phone switched off so there wasn't a lot of point trying to get hold of her now.

I'd never felt such anger in my life. I figured it was only a father's hatred for something so vile, so violating and horribly disgusting.

I knew Evelyn would understand that sometimes people did outrageously vile things to other people, sometimes children (even though she would detest to that) had that much pain emotionally and physically inflicted on them and sometimes those same children would have to live with that for the rest of their lives.

At some unknown early hour I heard the sound of hesitant footsteps towards my bedroom. The door opened and there stood a teary eyed Evelyn.

"Come here." I said tenderly, her pained expression killing me slowly. Evelyn tensely and slowly made her way over to the bed, I pulled back the covers as she clambered across Pepper's cold side of the bed only stopping when she was snuggled up against me. I pulled the covers back over us, trying to calm her down. Her arms binded tightly around my torso as mine settled gently on her attempting to lessen any alarm. One hand run repetitively up and down her back and the other tightly around her shoulders. Still more than grateful she didn't flinch whenever I kissed the top of her head from where she settled it on my chest.

"I want mom." Evelyn whispered.

"Me too. I'll call her in a few hours. Please try and sleep."

Evelyn fell asleep in short dozes, waking up every now and then completely dazed, confused and alarmed. I didn't mind this. It comforted me. This is what Pepper had to do most nights, calm me down until I could relax against her again. Which is exactly what I was doing for my daughter. Reassuring and simply loving her whenever she was shocked out of sleep.

Around an hour later during one of Evelyn's naps, Rowan walked in drowsily.

"Hey, soldier. You should be in bed?"

"I couldn't sleep. Sorry." Rowan yawned looking at his sister sorrowfully.

"Come here too." I reached out for him. Rowan wormed his way onto the yards of extra space of my side of the bed, lying on my chest under my arm facing Evelyn.

"Is she going to be okay, dad?"

"Of course she will. Know why?"

"Why?" He whispered back.

"Because we're going to help her."

Not too long after when Rowan had returned into another deep sleep, Evelyn woke up gasping for air and covered in a thin sheen of sweat. I was totally fucked up sleeping wise. This incident mixed with the nightmares wasn't going to allow me to sleep, honestly I didn't even want to try. My kids have never seen me in that state before only Pepper has, I never wanted them to see me after or during a nightmare. I never wanted them involved in that much horror I was put through in Afghanistan. I wasn't sure if they would understand that yeah, sometimes even their dad lives through terrifying nightmares about a terrorist group who cut me open and shoved an electromagnet hooked up to a car battery into my bloodied chest. Who cut me open and let me feel each excruciating millimetre of the knifes journey buried deep in my skin.

Evelyn jolted up right, gasping. Unthinkingly, I reached out for her winding one arm around her waist trying to pull her back over. Evelyn completely freaked out, trying to unlock my hold on her desperately.

"No, no! Please don't! Not again!" She whimpered shaking, I let go quickly.

"Evelyn, no it's me, you're safe. I've got you." I whispered soothingly. The words she spoke utterly broke my damaged heart into a million sharded fragments. She turned around to meet my gaze with a horrified, frightened, regretful expression. Tears graced her cheeks again. Evelyn reached out for me.

"I'm sorry. I thought you were him." She sobbed brokenly onto my shoulder. Instinctively I encircled my arms around Evelyn hushing her; adoringly rocking her against me with only the sounds of Rowan's light snores and Evelyn's sobs to fill the room.

After I calmed my daughter's heart breaking sobs into mere sniffles (I knew that wasn't the last of the crying) Evelyn and I stayed awake. Occasionally talking very quietly and solemnly. In a few hours I would call Pepper.


	20. Chapter 20

_A/N: Hey!_

_Right, so , firstly, I would just like to say here's chapter 20 and thankyou to everyone, a huggge thankyou to everyone who reviewed! Let's keep it going! _

_OH MY FREAKING GOD! I SAW IRON MAN 3 ON THURDAY 25TH! BEST FILM I HAVE EVER SEEN! If you guys haven't watched it yet, watch out for the song at the start, me and my best friend were literally dead from crying and laughing on our seats! and just.. Tony Stark dancing.. Oh seriously... Funnay and hot at the same time. _

_I'm still kind of depressed from it, the 'apparently' last Iron Man movie, not saying thats for definate, but that's just what I heard. Such an amazing film I can't put into words (if you haven't seen it yet) how much you'll laugh, cry, gasp and sit there and go 'NO FREAKIN' WAY!' just like I did. Never 'gonna forget it. And seriously cannot wait to watch it again! All the suits, tech and special effects though, total nerdgasm._

_Anyways, before I start crying again, here's number 20 below, uhh... what to say? OOh , I'll be working some things from Iron Man 3 into here in future chapters but don't worry it'll be in the future chapters and you''ll all have (hopefully) watched the movie by then, if you haven't well.. GO TO THE FREAKIN' CINEMA! _

_**PLEASE REVIEW MEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!** _

_and bare with this chapter and the next few, this was when I was trying to tackle how hard I found writing this fic but I battled my way through for you guys and I think I'm okay now :-)_

_Chapter 20 : Maybe We Should Assemble The Team?_

_Tony POV. _

By seven in the morning I was exhausted and so was Evelyn she finally lapsed into light sleep after tiring herself out from crying herself hoarse after each time she woke up, obliviously Rowan soundly slept the whole night through tucked safely under my arm.

Managing to extract myself from the mound of my teenage children asleep in my bed, I needed to find a quieter place and call Pepper. I sighed, grabbing my phone from the bedside table, turning to pull the covers up around both Rowan and Evelyn. After, I left the door open and went downstairs still in my t-shirt and sweats.

I welcomed the strong smell of freshly ground Arabica beans as the coffee brewed in it's pot and pressed the phone to my ear. Pepper almost instantly picked up.

"Missing me already are we, Mr Stark?"

"Pepper," I breathed, so relieved to hear her voice, "Listen, I need to-"

"If you're trying to persuade me to come home, Tony it's not going to work. Hey, can we speak later? I'm just catching a cab." I barely heard Pepper say in the midst of the London hustle and bustle.

"Pepper, no! Hold on, you need to come home." Telling her, my voice trembled at the same time as the tears threatened to spill over.

"You know I can't."

"Your not listening! You need to pack up all of your things, go to the airport and catch the first plane here. I-she needs you."

"She? Is it Evelyn? What's going on? Has something happened?" Pepper stopped short.

"Yes. Something's happened and we need you home. I don't exactly want to tell you this over the phone."

"What?"

"I'm sorry, Pepper. Evelyn was raped last night." I said in one long breath.

"No Tony, that's not even funny." Pepper spat down the phone sounding disgusted with me, all of the unthinkable things I had said to her over the years even when surely I had drank myself into oblivion.

"Dammit, Pepper! Why would I joke about that?!" I unthinkingly snapped back.

"I don't know! But how could that of happened?!" She sounded furious, but I could tell Pepper began to believe me.

"It was Hammer." I muttered.

"I'm coming home. If this is some sick joke Tony, I'll castrate you myself." Pepper choked up. I didn't even want to make a joke about how she would miss out on some particular activities if she castrated me. She sort of went into a power house mode after announcing she was heading straight back to her hotel room and coming straight home. We hung up after exchanging good byes and 'have a safe journey'. But no 'I love you's'.

I couldn't make myself do anything productive or totally useless. Rowan got out bed around nine already dressed looking like he was going out for a run, without a word Rowan headed for the door at the same time as popping his head phones in. He passed right by me silently making a b-line for the door, being sure to grab a ruby red apple on the way out.

"And where are you going?" I stopped him in his tracks with an assertive, slightly sarcastic and little outraged tone of voice.

"Dad, don't start on me all serious. I'm going for a run. Like I always do." Rowan threw back just as furiously.

"No your not. Use the gym or do some laps in the pool. I don't want either of you going out by yourselves right now."

"What the hell! Dad!-

"Rowan! Don't argue with me!"

"I know what happened last night was really horrible and really serious but it's broad daylight, and even if Hammer turns up I'm 'gonna give him the biggest kick in the balls anyways. It's a Saturday, I always go for a run on a Saturday." Rowan argued. I stood up and went over to my son.

"Maybe tomorrow. Just c'mere, yeah?" I reached a hand out onto his shoulder gently tugging him into my hold when Rowan unexpectantly threw me off.

"No. Your not fair. _I hate you_." Rowan snapped bitterly storming out of sight.

_I hate you_. He said he hated me, my own son said he hated me. I instantly wanted to go and grovel, patch it up, make it all better so I could hear him take away his words. But Pepper would scold me for not sticking to my words. Too many people want to kill me. Too many people hate me, I don't want my own child added to that hefty list of pissed of people.

_... ... ... ... ... _

_Natasha POV._

Clint managed to drag his ass out of bed at nine in the morning totally indifferent to the situation. I couldn't sleep. Uriah couldn't sleep and I was certain nor Tony or Evelyn would have been able to either. What a mess. The poor girl, having to cope with what happened to her for the rest of her life; I had all kinds of various torture inflicted on me but no torture could be worse than rape.

My mind buzzed around plotting a hundred and one methods of slow death and torture I could use on that pathetic excuse for a man just for my own fun.

"Have you been sat there all night?" Clint asked shocked, I hadn't had a few all-nighters for a while or at least my son was born.

"Yes."

"Nat?" He pulled me from a trance with a sharp click of the fingers a few inches from my face. "Why didn't you come to bed?"

"Evelyn was attacked last night. I picked her up." I muttered, turning around to see Uriah asleep on the couch so I raised my voice a bit.

Clint came and sat down opposite me, reached forward for the cup of coffee sitting in front of me after he took a gulp, after he took a gulp he spat it back into the mug finding it was colder than a bag of ice. Clint thumped the mug back down with a disgusted, comically over exaggerated expression.

"Attacked? Attacked how?"

"Rape." I replied quickly.

"Do we know who's balls we have to break or is it a wild goose chase?" Clint asked seriously.

"No goose chase. It was Hammer."

Clint let out a low tuned whistle in shock.

"Then we should assemble the team, shouldn't we?"

"What about Fury?" I said sarcastically; rubbing my forehead.

"He'll find out, he always does. Fury might already know, he's a spy. Fury probably knows what underwear I have on today…And what about Stark? I recon he'll 'wanna be there to personally kill him on the spot." Clint chuckled kicking back in his chair.

"Don't laugh! It's hardly funny! Oh, Clint only you would bring up Fury and underwear in the same sentence. I'm calling Tony."

_... ... ... ... ... ... _

_Tony POV. _

Still sat here I thought bluntly to myself. Everything was so tense and sickly at the moment I sat here with a cold coffee just thinking. A while ago I contemplated going down to the work shop and drowning everything out with some heavy duty tools a few minuets after that thought I decided against it. I wasn't the victim in all of this. Burying my head in the sand was something Howard Stark would've done.

So instead I found myself outside of Evelyn's room after visiting my room and finding out she wasn't there. My knuckles knocked against the pine wooden door with a feather light touch. A second after I knocked I let myself in.

Evelyn was curled up in bed the thick plump covers almost swallowing her up as she lay on the mattress staring blankly at the TV that was blabbering away. Duly noting how under nourished and damaged (Not at all liking the word damaged) she appeared from the brush of purple shadows hanging under her eyes to her pasty skin.

"Sweetheart?"

Evelyn hummed in response.

"Do you need anything?"

"No."

"Why don't you come downstairs? I'll cook you breakfast... Or Rowan can?" I smirked trying to get a laugh out of her with a joke about my cooking.

"I said no. Thanks."

"Well, let me know." I sighed beginning to close the door.

"Sir, Miss. Romanoff is on line 5." JARVIS interrupted my deep thought of total uselessness and despair, I ran a hand through my dishevelled bed hair.

"Put her through."

"Tony?"

"Uhuh?" I answered back.

"We're assembling the team." Natasha announced a moment later. When I heard her, I paused on the stair case.

"What? For Hammer? Have you any idea in finding him?" My voice sounded hoarse and tired. I wanted to suit up immediately and find that bastard to tear him apart for my own satisfaction.

"The usual protocols, Fury's going to have to be involved I'm afraid." Natasha said her voice full of professionalism but still managed to tumble out in a rush.

"I thought he would've already found out. I'm on my way-no. I can't. Ugh! Right, um. Pepper's coming home, can't we wait until then?"

"No, Tony we really can't we have no idea where Hammer may be by now. He needs to be found while he's close. Look, go to SHEILDS HQ. Everyone will meet you there. I can sit in round the mansion." Natasha offered sweetly. It made me realise I wasn't alone as a hopeless adult (though Pepper may agree about me being an adult.) in all of this, I thought, however Natasha would be able to cope with this a little more coolly than I would probably be by the end of the day.

"That would be great. Evelyn's closed up."

"I'll be round in ten. Be ready." Natasha hung up after that. Groaning, I turned around to go back upstairs into Evelyn's room.

I cracked open the door again nervously. Why was I nervous to speak to my own daughter? Because my daughter wasn't at all acting like her usual self. And it wasn't her fault, not one bit. That's something I have to help her to remember.

"Your Aunty Nat's coming round, okay? I'm going to sort this out."

"What, now?" She perked up. Keeping her hair down around Hammer's love bites on her exposed flesh, Evelyn tied a pink fluffy robe around her once she sluggishly pulled herself out of bed.

"Uh. Yeah. I'll have my phone on me so just call me or your mom and she should be home soon. You'll be alright, right?" I tentatively rubbed her back covered with pink fluff.

"Yeah. Fine. See you later." Evelyn ambled off in direction of the kitchen.

This must have been the seventh hundred and fifty-fifth time I groaned or sighed this morning but I did so anyway. I told Rowan where I was going and their Aunty Nat would be round soon. I felt like a bad father, leaving them not exactly on their own, but leaving them nevertheless. I promised him I would be back soon as I walked out leaving him alone in the gym.

"Hi." I breathed rolling up my sleeves as I awkwardly pulled the front door open, finding Natasha idly waiting.

"How is-"

"A complete car crash. I don't know what to do. Rowan hates me. Evelyn is shutting down. Thanks for coming." I said sincerely. We swapped places so she stood in the doorway and I stood in Malibu's warming morning sun.

"I'll try and talk to her and Rowan, maybe Evelyn will feel more comfortable in a females company. I'm sure Rowan doesn't hate you. Good Luck." Natasha shrugged off her genuine light tan leather jacket tossing off to the side of her causing it to land untidily on one of the breakfast bar's chairs.

"Lets... Hope."

Once again I was ripping down the highway on the edge of the coast, speeding outrageously along in my silver convertible Audi. The plain old excruciating usual jibber jabber of the radio somehow managed to provide me with a little comfort just from the distraction and random chit chat the radio presenters blathered on with.

Parking in one of the dozens of empty spaces in the underground parking lot Steve's big, beastly black motorcycle stood on it's stand near by it's well looked after paint job shining under the orange tinted lights. I made my way into the reporter free reception.


	21. Chapter 21 : Game Plan

_A/N ; Hey ! I am really, really sorry! I've been delaying updating because my feelings have been a little so so on this and I got really stuck on this action scene I've been doing.. So now I've gotten past that all, here's the new one and PEPPERONY IS TO COME IN A FEW CHAPTERS INSPIRED BY SKYFALL... Hahaha how camp! Anyway, I want you guys to catch up with what I'm doing right now, it's kind of serious.. It's either going to go down really well or your all going to hunt me down and murder me. Oh well, I'll take the chance here._

_Right, so. I don't really like this chapter much. But I'm hoping you lot will :-) _

_Thank you to ;; Hero Of Regret for having chats with me, doing me some fan art for this story (Really excited) and reading some future stuff for me! _

_See what happens when you talk to me readers, I cave and send you spoilers! _

_Anyway, I'll let you read all of this. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW ME FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER TO POP UP IN A FEW DAYS!_

_Also ; if you can, I can be contacted through my tumblr ; quirky-comics ._

_:-)_

_Chapter 21 : Game Plan._

_Tony POV._

"Tony?" Steve's overly polite voice came from behind me from in SHIELD's HQ reception. Steve tossed down his newspaper on the patronizingly unneeded coffee table in the secluded waiting area in the far corner of the surprisingly open and welcoming reception below all of the serious matters going on upstairs.

"Do you know why we've been called?"

"Fury didn't tell you?" I asked, confused, as he approached me curiously.

"No he didn't. Only that we were to assemble here." Steve replied simultaneously as we made our way to the elevators. The sudden series of impossibly real, loud and electrifying lighting bolts followed by ongoing rumbles of booming thunder tumbling across the now grey clouds hanging in the sky making us both jump out of our skins.

"I guess Thor's coming too." Steve smirked at the theatrical palava of Thor coming and going from Asgaurd to Migaurd and vice versa.

Stepping out of the lift on the very top floor Bruce Banner was easily picked out from the cluster of employees and agents all dressed in black where he awkwardly stood fumbling with his glasses dressed in grey slacks and a lilac button down shirt in which the sleeves were bunched up messily around his elbows trying to stay out of every bodies way, stepping this way and that, as if he were trapped and trying to escape some maze.

"Doctor?" Steve called out snatching up Bruce's attention, he looked grateful Steve saved him from blocking numerous doorways.

"Steve, Tony, Hi."

"It's good to see you again, Bruce. How's your medical research going over in India?" Steve shook his hand. Lately, all of the Avengers had been split, except Natasha and Clint who had been a lot more grounded. Clint had been taking a lot more solitary missions to cover for his girlfriend, partner whatever they were to each other. Bruce had been taking some time out in his previous stress free environment in India to develop his medical research and to especially help the citizens over there battle through a nasty breakout of a life threatening disease. Steve on the other hand, went on a journey taking only his motorcycle and riding where the wind took him across all fifty-two states discovering all the new dimensions of this new world he was still getting to know.

"Yeah-yeah, It's going great, with the help of Stark Industries over seas medical department we may have just developed a new vaccine to fight of the symptoms and maybe even cure people, which is great."

"A Stark Industries over seas medical department? Wow. I'm glad it's going well for 'ya." Steve grinned. Shooting a knowing look at me, probably mildly shocked at how much Stark Industries actually produced / did. This is me and I am a kind of genius. Actually, erase the 'kind of'.

"Well, thanks. I hear you've-" Bruce was cut off short from Thor booming down the hallway, hammer firmly in hand.

"Hey there, point break." I sarcastically greeted. Jeez, this guy was more ostentatious than me. No wait... I think the gold and red suit speaks for itself... But then again a red cape? Probably made out of the finest cashmere even Pepper would be envious of.

"Stark, Rogers, Banner, I heard we have been summoned in aid of what you Miguardians like to call a 'conference meeting'. Is there any word as to what it's about?" Thor addressed us seriously.

"Not yet. I think we're waiting on Fury." Steve said and Bruce nodded.

"We saved the world for him, you would have though he could turn up on time at least. We'll let him explain. I've been dealing with the trauma of it." I said exasperated.

"You know?" They all said in unison just as Fury swaggered up the corridor, wordlessly entering the meeting room. I nodded, following after Fury.

"My commiserations, Stark. I'm sorry about the incident. Anything I can do." Fury said sincerely.

"What's happened?" Steve butted in.

"If you'd all like to sit. Ah, Agent Barton, thank you for taking the time out of your obviously extremely busy schedule to join us today."

"I'm 'gonna say traffic," Clint held his hands up, "How's she coping, Stark?"

"Coping isn't really the word but I'm hoping she'll be okay."

"We'll begin, shall we?" Fury strolled round the head of the table. Maria Hill and Phil Coulson joined us shortly after we all piled in the meeting room. I ignored their pity looks.

"There's been an incident. Stark knows this and is directly involved. Hammer's committed an ungodly crime last night." Fury started off with a huge breath, the other team members noticed and looked to me as soon as he finished the question.

"He, Justin Hammer that is. I'm hoping your familiar to the name, if you don't mind me saying, Stark, but he assaulted Miss. Evelyn Stark just the late hours of last night."

Steve gaped.

"Assault? Assault how? What- how did that.." Steve trailed off, staring into everyone's astounded eyes, then ending his circuit by staring into my heartbroken expression, where I kept my gaze firmly on the reflective glass surface of the table.

"I'm afraid it was rape." Fury paused at the head of the table

"My god." Bruce wiped a hand over his face, breaking the silence.

"Such a venomous act should not be treated with light consequences." Thor's disgusted booming voice broke through the room.

"Thor's right, we need a plan of attack." Steve went into what I liked to call his 'soldier mode', which he was in most of the time since he had come out of his capsicle.

"A good snidely plan to catch that slimy git right in the bollocks... And them preferably rip them off." Clint spat venomously yet, thoughtfully.

"Whatever we do, I want him. Alive," I piped up shocking everyone. Steve, Clint, Bruce, Thor and Fury stared at me. Thor looked deep in thought as well as Bruce, Steve looked to me seemingly agreeing in his body language as he nodded and leaned forward.

"That's absolutely no way to treat a lady, especially a girl. No man would've ever dreamt of thieving a lady of her innocence in my day. We need to find him and take action."

"So what are we going to do?" Bruce fiddled with his glasses again.

"That's why I called you in." Fury snatched up our attention with his superior stance and serious voice at the head of the table.

_... ... ... ... ... ... _

_Natasha POV. _

"Hello, sweetie." I leaned against the door frame of Evelyn's bedroom door. Seeing her slumped in bed staring at the TV screen emotionlessly. Her glazed over eyes told me she wasn't even paying attention to whatever was on.

"Hi." She smiled. The smile was a good effort but didn't touch her eyes. I guess this was her way of dealing with it ; pretending it didn't happen.

"Probably a stupid question but how're you feeling today?"

"I'll be fine."

"You will, I promise you that. There's going to be so much support for you, Evelyn. Listen, I'll be back in a second, go and get some junk food, take your duvet down, pick out some movies and we'll chill out for a bit, yeah?" I quickly perched on Evelyn's bed next to her tentatively wrapping an arm around her petite shoulders.

"Love you, Aunty Nat." Evelyn fell lightly into my side quietly wiping some betraying tears from her cheeks. I unexpectantly found my own eyes stinging with tears.

"Remember what I said? Always 'gonna be here for you if you need me. And Uriah is, you mean a lot to him."

"He means a lot to me as well." Evelyn muttered back, fiddling with her hands and her face growing a little red, I decided not to say anything. Just kissed Evelyn's head and went to find Rowan.

I found him in the gym profoundly beating the crap out of Happy in the boxing ring.

"Huh-OW!" Happy yelled as Rowan spun and kicked him full force into one of the pillars of the boxing ring.

"Sorry!" Rowan laughed lightly watching Happy regain his balance and full height again like a three legged dog.

"Your dad's been teaching you dirty boxing again, hasn't he?!" Happy gasped around his gulps of water from his water bottle.

"Time out, boys." I announced myself loud enough to stop the very familiar bickering between Happy and mini-Tony.

"I got an appointment anyway, kid. See ya'. Heya Natasha." Happy still a little breathless, exited the room.

"You alright, Rowan?"

"I'm fine." He eye-contaclessly answered.

"You seem a bit quiet. Do you want to chat?" I athletically bent in between the rings ropes, picked up the boxing pads and shoved them on my hands, holding them up.

"About...?" Rowan grunted punching hard, smirking lightly when I didn't move.

"Why did you say you hate your dad?"

"Don't all kids say it?" Rowan replied emotionlessly, still punching repetitively. Giving up with a sigh and sitting down.

"Yeah, sure. When their dad won't let them go to a party or buy gig tickets, not circumstances like these." I said sitting next to Rowan on the spongy matt of the boxing ring against the ropes.

"I was pissed off and I wanted him to notice me for a second. That probably sounds really bratty and selfish, but I supposed all of the attention would be on Evelyn from now on," He shrugged sadly, staring down at the floor. Rowan's words trailing off into a miserable mutter. "I look really selfish and insensitive now, don't I?"

"No, you don't. You sound like a normal brother. I'll talk to your dad when he get's home. Now, come on. Shower and then we're watching movies." I said leaping out of the ring watching a smirk spread across his slightly freckled face.

"Sure thing, mom." Rowan laughed giving a mock salute. I joined in ruffling his hair playfully as we walked through the rooms. He may be part Tony, but boy, did I adore this kid.

_... ... ... ... ... ..._

_Tony POV._

The next couple of hours were filled with planning of viable methods. Some figured to be really crap. We stayed, plotted and paced around the room ,only having people leave the room to get coffee for us, until we found a concealed way of hunting down Hammer. To be honest, I highly doubted it would be concealed at all.

"He could be anywhere in the world right now." Steve stated loud enough in the large room for everyone to hear as soon as Fury ordered Maria and Phil to go and set the team of agents up in the tech room to begin scanning the worlds CCTV cameras.

"If they found Loki on CCTV, I'm pretty sure they can find weasel Hammer." Bruce absentmindedly replied.

"How can we shush down a man hunt with Cap all spangled up, Bruce transforming into a huge green rage monster, and Rock of Ages brother modelling a red cashmere cape even Pepper would be proud of?" I asked swivelling in my chair while Bruce scanned for Hammer's mobile phone signal (if he did have one, we didn't know at this point.) on one of SHEILDS tablets.

"We'll figure something out... Stark, I think you should get going." Fury strolled back into the room hearing my previous comment.

"Yeah, I better go... Keep me posted."

"Give her our best, Tony." Clint called before the door clicked shut behind me.

Soon enough I was home again. Finding Rowan sat at the island in the kitchen eating a bowl of Lucky Charms.

"Hi. Aunty Nat's on the phone to mom." He said without looking up from the last marshmallow pieces swimming around in the swimming pool of milk in his bowl. As I passed him I squeezed his shoulder gently, glad when he didn't reject my touch again.

Natasha was curled up on the sofa with Evelyn on the phone to Pepper. I guessed Evelyn had spoken to Pepper over the phone as her eyes were glassy and the shimmering tear tracks she hadn't wiped from her cheeks. Meanwhile through Natasha's sorrowful tone and stroking Evelyn's hair, Evelyn got up, throwing her duvet to the side and met me before I reached the couch. She almost ploughed into me. I was so unbelievably grateful Evelyn wasn't afraid of me, being a man.

"Sorry for being so long." I murmured into her hair, rubbing her back. Quietly and quickly checking on her 'wounds' from the incident, I didn't want to call them hickeys or love bites, happy to find they looked better especially with all of the blood, dirt and grass stains washed away gave it a big improvement. Evelyn just squeezed me tighter.

"I love you, honey." I whispered to her, feeling more protective of my daughter than ever.

Out of the corner of my eye, Natasha began gathering her things, once Evelyn and I released each other she was pulled into another hug by Natasha, saying how she would always be there. Rowan vanished from the kitchen as Natasha and I silently walked through the kitchen to the door

"He doesn't hate you by the way." Natasha smiled lightly.

"What?" I asked in reply, confused.

"Rowan. He wanted you to notice him as he worked out Evelyn would be priority right now, go and talk to him."

"Thank you... Natasha."

"Bye, Tony."


	22. Chapter 22 : What A Teenager

_A/N: Hey again, aren't I nice!? Not a lot to say here, thanks to Meepmeep123 ; your review made me happy again! _

_And to the guest reviewer 'cloudy' I understand your frustration here, but your review made me feel a little under confident. Just stay patient, there'll be Pepperony, and I'll be editing some more in. That chapter wasn't my favourite either but it had to go up. Hope you like this one and will review me positively this time._

_ If you want another chapter tonight ;** REVIEW!**_

_C__hapter 22 : What A Teenager._

_Tony POV. _

This was hard, constantly being unsure of what to do or say to someone who had been abused in the most brutal way anyone could ever imagine. We all needed Pepper here, the true staple holding us all together whereas I just occasionally saved the world. Hopefully Pepper would be here by the evening I hoped.

Meanwhile, Coulson kept me posted a few hours ago in that they had managed to find Hammer, well, Hammer's phone signal had been tracked over seas in London to say the least I was more than relieved. Although I had a few doubts about just Hammer's phone signal being uncovered through all of the other phone signals making calls around the globe or whether he had lobbed it into the ocean first chance he got. Ready to arrange and memorize a plan of action to vent my ever existing rage at the man who was determined to ruin my daughters life.

Hours later, I received another call. Only escalating my anger to find out I had been right in doubting SHIELD's findings. Coulson announced my suspicions, Hammer's phone was found in a London sewer and of course absolutely no sign of Hammer.

I hated the thought of Evelyn blaming herself for the assault. How could she even do that? How could Evelyn possibly think she had done something to deserve such pain from a man so much older than my sixteen year old daughter. As bad as it may sound I wanted to know more, where it happened, when she knew it was about to happen or when she realised who it was, did she figure out what he was going to do earlier on? Did she try and scream or fight against him? I don't know and something told me I wouldn't know for a while.

From what I knew and that JARVIS had told me from a website especially designed for fathers and what to do during the strained, heart wrenching time of your daughter or female friend had been reduced to a rape victim, I shouldn't press for any details until Evelyn seemed open and ready to talk. Nor should I close up or ignore the horrific event, this apparently showed I was ashamed which lead to her thinking I blamed her. I also knew I had to explain what had happened to her wasn't remotely Hammer 'showing his love' , as her father I wasn't sure on 'bases' but judging by the amount of blood Hammer had stolen her innocence. I needed to explain that to her, it may have been best Pepper explaining it but Pepper wasn't here right now. So I'd have to suffice, I supposed Evelyn would crawl into my bed again tonight, not that I minded, it was nice to sooth her nightmares away.

But first I'd have to talk to Rowan. Rowan was never a moody teenager, he was always a very chatty, vivacious young man always striving to do his best just like Pepper. Now though, he had shut himself in his room after Natasha had left hours ago. After discretely watching Evelyn pushing her dinner consisting of Froot Loops swimming in milk absentmindedly around her bowl (That was all I could convince her to eat or to try to anyway) , I travelled the length of the house to talk to Rowan.

"JARVIS, is Rowan asleep?" I asked the ceiling.

"No, Mister Stark appears to be reading, sir." JARVIS quickly replied, I swung the door open finding Rowan slowly skimming over the small printed words of his newly found copy of my mother's old book, slightly tatty and dog eared from all of the years I had aimlessly flicked through it sceptically asking what was so good about it, only when I indulged into my curiosity and read it years after my parents death after finding it in a cardboard box packed with so much of her abandoned stuff; finding out how much I enjoyed it and how saddened I was not being able to tell my mother that I had been wrong all these years sadly missing out on the opportunity to hear her peels of bells like sounding laughter at just how wrong I was about this book. It was obviously years later when Rowan picked up the same book from my book shelf reading it a million and one times telling me how much he enjoyed _To Kill A Mockingbird_, that was a sentimental thing I thought I'd never have. Sure; one day I'm going to pass down the company to either one of my kids depending on who wants it, but a sentimentality like a book as sappy as it may sound that my mother had read, I had read and now my son had read was something I thought I'd never had. Very simple but treasureable.

Rowan either didn't notice I had opened the door or decided to ignore me.

"Rowan?" I, and we, rarely ever called Rowan by his proper name it was either affectionate, teasing nicknames, Ro or Rory. Rowan usually got called by his full name when feelings turned a bit icy Rowan Anthony Stark was a trick out of your sleeve to snap up his attention when he'd behaved badly or pretended he hadn't done anything wrong to see how far he could stretch either mine or Pepper's patience. I carried on talking when Rowan looked up.

"Y'know, your attitude kind of stank this morning."

"Oh god... If you're 'gonna blast my head off go away." Rowan cockily grumbled returning back to his book. Rowan never spoke to me like this. He scowled at my surprisingly angry expression. Springing up from his place on the bed, infuriately making a strong move to slam the door in my face with a hot headed roll of the eyes and hefty sigh.

"Rowan Anthony Sta-" Catching the door, I tried to say firmly and sternly making a great effort not to over step that mark into an intimidating character towering over him. Obviously, I knew what he was doing, I've done it first hand when my parents died closing off from Edwin except I wasn't Rowan's butler, I was his father. A determined father to not allow him to encase himself behind a wall of false emotion.

"What's wrong with you?" I pushed the door against the wall and leaned against the door frame for his powerful stance reduced to weakness as Rowan's shoulders slumped.

"Just leave me to my own-devices and tell me when mom gets home." Rowan angrily said, crossing his arms defensively across his chest.

"What's wrong? Why won't you say?" My tone dropped into a softer level.

"Say what?" He sighed angrily again. What a teenager.

"What's bothering you because I know something is," I made sure to hush my voice before looking seriously at Rowan before carrying on, also relaxing against the door frame. "Is it Evelyn?"

Rowan didn't really answer, he only fiddled with the hem of his t-shirt, then his hair and finally retracing his steps to sit silently on the bed.

"That's a yes." I shut the door behind me desperate for Evelyn not to hear what the following conversation may or may not involve.

"Tell me, Rowan." I crouched down in front of him with my hands resting lightly on his legs. Rowan quickly bowed his head not too soon after I caught a glimpse, his frown deepen and his lip tremble. It was a gut twisting moment of realisation. Rowan was upset about it and I hadn't noticed that. How could I have not noticed that? Is that why he told me he hated me earlier or did he actually mean it?

Rowan sniffled pulling me from deep thought and instinctively making me draw my hands up to cradle the sides of his face.

"Hey, come on. I'm here." I whispered soothingly, wiping some stray tears away.

"How can someone do that to someone else, dad?" Rowan asked hopelessly.

"People do bad things to other people, and sometimes it just happens to the people we care most about. And all we can do is help them move on and get through it."

"I don't want to scare her." Rowan looked at me.

"How'd you mean?" I tenderly said, moving to sit next to him. My arm almost instantly instinctively draping my arm around his shoulders.

"'Cause I think she's kind of stuck here with two guys. So I don't want to make a wrong move and freak her out but Evelyn is my sister, as much as I don't say it enough I love her and don't want her to be scared of me. And… like- as much as I don't tell her that I love her, I think, what if something went wrong that night?"

"You can't think like that. She's home and safe with us. Come with me," I stood placing an encouraging hand on his shoulder blade, "I love you, kid."

"I didn't mean what I said earlier, I don't hate you... I don't think people give you enough credit for how great you are." Rowan sheepishly put into words squidging himself into my side under my arm. Wordlessly I took him tighter into my arms for a second just to relish into a hug I so dearly needed.

"It wouldn't matter if you weren't Iron Man, dad. You're kinda like a super hero to us on a daily basis." Rowan said playfully into our embrace.

I laughed through my nose in a breathy huff in between kissing Rowan's forehead.

"I'm gonna' have to start tipping you soon for these compliments, kiddo."

"I'm sure we could come to some arrangement on that one." Rowan cheekily said.

Down in the living room Evelyn sat on the couch holding a steaming cup of tea in her hands.

"What's wrong?" She asked alarmed when her eyes feasted upon Rowan's cheeks flustered and blotchy red from stray tears.

"We don't want to make you feel trapped here. Rowan wants to be there for you too, but doesn't want to scare you. I don't want scare you, but we would never hurt you in any way, Evelyn." I still acted timid, sitting next to her.

"I know you wouldn't," Evelyn's tears started as she held my hand. "Oh, Rowan." She sobbed. They caught each other in a tight sibling hug straight away when Evelyn's grip left mine and stood up to meet him.

"Love you, sis." I heard him barely whisper into her ear over her sobs.

... ... ... ... ... ...

_Hi honey, Happy just picked me up from the airport. Speeding along the highway right now. Hope everyone is okay. Be home soon. I love you so much._

_P xx _

I sighed a huge sigh of relief, closing the hologram on my phone after reading Pepper's text. Evelyn was curled up against me again, led in the darkness since ten PM in this overly comfortable bed however I felt no sense of drowsiness creeping up on me nor any reason to fall asleep. I wanted Pepper like a selfish five year old wanted the delectable cookie on the top shelf.

Evelyn stayed snuggled up to Rowan most of the night trying to make each other feel better, I worked, but at a fatherly protective distance at the dining room table only to glance up every few minuets ever concerning, trying to get some of Pepper's workload completed.

Originally, Rowan and Evelyn went to bed at nine. After I finished up what I was doing I also crawled into bed at a loss of what else to do. Around eleven a teary eyed Evelyn woke me up shakily through a small amount of artificial light that streamed in, fanning around the room due to the open door and light on out in the corridor.

Her trembling fingers firmly gripping my bare bicep and stuttering voice stirring me out of sleep. In between her choked sobs and scrubbing under her eyes with the backs of her hands Evelyn broken heartedly told me she had a horrible nightmare, my expression instantly softened and took her tremoring body in the middle of my hands. Tucking her head underneath my chin underneath the sheets, I rubbed soothing circles on her back until, a half an hour later Evelyn fell into a light snooze of exhaustion under my comfort.

A few hours later, (after setting my phone down on the bed side table.) the front door sounded as well as a voice talking sincerely to someone else. This caused me to vigilantly creep downstairs careful not to wake anyone I rearranged the covers around Evelyn before checking on Rowan glad to find him soundly asleep.

A strawberry blonde beauty stood with her back to me in the kitchen where her suitcases and hand luggage stood next to her. Pepper. I couldn't make myself stop to admire the scene I so desperately longed for the past couple of days until my love for her became evident as I rushed towards her.

"Pepper." My hoarse from sleep voice made her jump and turn. Soon enough I wrapped her up in my arms. Pepper's lips gratefully joining with mine in an instant.


	23. Chapter 23 : Reconcile

**_AN/ : Hey :-) Not a lot to say about this except Pepperony :-) I hope you like the fluffiness in this one, I thought a lot about what I was about to write to gift you with the gift of Pepperony, sweet, sweet Pepperony! _**

**_Thank you so much for subscribing and following and reviewing and everything! It was amazing to receive your love! I love you all! _**

**_So please, continue to REVIEW IF YOU WANT THE NEXT CHAPTER WHICH IS JUST AS PEPPERONY-ISH AS THIS ONEEEEEEEEEE! Hahaha :-)_**

_Chapter 23 : Reconcile._

_Tony POV._

A strawberry blond beauty stood with her back to me in the kitchen where her suitcases and hand luggage stood next to her. Pepper. I couldn't make myself stop to admire the scene I so desperately longed for over the past couple of days until my love for her came oozing out.

"Pepper." My hoarse from sleep voice made her jump and turn. Soon enough I wrapped her up in my arms. Pepper's lips gratefully joining with mine in an instant.

"Tony." She greedily stole kisses and gasped against my lips.

"I'm so happy you're here." I pulled her even more so tightly into me. This was to stop her from seeing me well up a few more seconds after droplets of her salty tears made themselves known on my neck.

"I shouldn't have gone."

"You should have seen her, Pepper." I hugged her fiercely and muttered heart stricken into her hair.

"Tell me everything." Pepper pulled away from my desperate hands clawing at her petite waist needing her in every possible way, her fingers making massage like motions on my shoulders.

She ran a few fingers over my jaw, tracing longingly along my signature goatee a tiny smile beginning to tug on her lips until her curled hand with her thumb slightly pointed out ran delicately across my bottom lip. I all but melted into her touch showering my wife with a sorrowful look.

"Evelyn's upstairs in our bed because she kept having nightmares, Pepper. I don't know what to tell you to make this better-"

"Tony, you can't. Just tell me the truth and what happened." She interrupted tears beginning to cascade down her cheeks.

"She hasn't spoken about it yet. Hammer did it to her though when she was walking home from a party on her own, Natasha picked her up and then I drove there to fetch Ev's before going to the hospital." My forehead touched to her's in defeat.

The sluggish sound of sleepy foot steps sounded closer and closer across the marble flooring in the hallway along with a yawn. Not even a minuet after, Rowan padded around the corner, Pepper instantly pulled away and wiped her eyes feigning a smile. Still taller than him Pepper stepped over and did a motherly once over before lovingly hugging him.

"Mom, when did you get here?"

"Not long ago, what are you doing up?" Pepper pushed the wild bed hair out of his eyes.

"Oh. I was coming to get Dad 'cause Ev's woke up." Rowan yawned again. I instantly felt guilty and made a start for the door, Pepper's hand on my shoulder stopped me in my tracks.

"Again?" To which I nodded.

"Every few hours after she would fall asleep. C'mon sleepy head." I guided my fourteen year old yawning son from the room then laced my hand with Pepper's. She seemingly and understandably raced up the stairs. Firstly, Pepper went and pulled up the covers around Rowan who had fallen into an instantly deep and lightly snoring sleep as soon as he made contact with the mattress and pillows, shortly after Pepper closed Rowan's bedroom door behind her plunging him into a blissful darkness after pausing to gaze over his sleeping form. I guessed how much she must have missed us all especially after I made that dreaded phone call.

Meanwhile, I strode back to mine and Pepper's room finding Evelyn balled up with her head buried in her knees and arms wrapped desperately around her legs as a defence mechanism. I called her name out as a pre warning.

"Evelyn?"

"Why do I keep dreaming about-" Evelyn hopelessly trailed off. Not wanting to say the word or his name. Just when I was about to answer Pepper warily walked into the room trying to avoid scaring Evelyn further. Pepper cast Evelyn a teary sympathetic look only propelling Evelyn into harder sobs. I perched on the edge of the bed as Evelyn was more on my side. Pepper threw her heels into a far corner. Whilst Evelyn was tucked under my arm, Pepper clambered on the bed desperate to get to our daughter; Evelyn reached out for Pepper as well.

"I missed you, mom." Evelyn sobbed in between choked breaths. She easily fit into Pepper's ready and waiting cradle, Evelyn's cries were muffled in Pepper's white blazer. Evelyn saying this launched Pepper into tears as well, all Pepper could do is hold her tightly, shushing her comfortingly just like what Pepper did best.

"I shouldn't have gone. I missed you too, baby. I'm so sorry, I'm here now." Pepper tried to controlled her breathing, I shuffled over on the bed to add some more comfort even though I knew I couldn't be of much help or make anyone feel any better. Nevertheless I knew I needed to be there.

Evelyn pulled away raking a hand through her messy from a nightmare hair it was then Pepper noticed the love bites from Hammer, they had now turned a ghastly purple tinted with a dark blue and yellow. Still speckles of blood dotted on each bite where his teeth had traumatized the skin but not enough for it to break.

Pepper looked to me with wild, antagonized worry.

"I'm going to bed." Evelyn quietly announced a minuet later after rearranging her hair back around herself concealing the worst of the bites.

"Are you sure, honey?" Pepper ran her fingers through Evelyn's hair. Evelyn nodded.

"Okay, I'll come with you." Pepper took Evelyn's hand and wrapped her arm tightly around her shoulders helping her off the bed and out of the room. I followed too but not before grabbing a pack of sleeping pills from my bedside table I reserved for my own traumatic nightmares and made my way sleepily down to Evelyn's room with a glass of water. I leaned against the door frame finding Pepper sat on the floor, her legs folded under herself holding Evelyn's hand tightly in her's whispering something quiet and meaningful to Evelyn who was curled up resting on the pillow.

"They make me fall asleep." I waved the tablets.

"You don't have to, sweetie. They can make you fall asleep deep enough for the nightmares to stay away." Pepper ran the back of her hand across Evelyn's cheek. Evelyn muttered a 'yes' and took two tablets. Pepper wanted to wait by Evelyn's side until she fell asleep, stroking her hair, kissing her forehead and whispering how sorry and how much she loved her.

I found myself in Rowan's room. Not tired at all, I perched on the edge of his bed just to reassure his safety, he was fine of course nothing had happened. Watching him breath peacefully with his hair falling untidily into his eyes cast a serenity over me. Rowan yawned into his pillow, rubbing his eyes flickering in the mix of artificial and dark light and staring at the clock which read half past two in the morning. He slowly looked around until his gaze settled on me.

"Quit waking me up." Rowan groaned closing his eyes again, trying to kick me off the bed with lazy attempts.

"I wanted to see if you were okay... It's a dad thing I think. At least it's school break." I surrendered with a breathy laugh. Rowan responded with another tired groan, squirmed and pushed snoozily against my chest when I bent down to kiss his forehead, chuckling when he whinged with complaints, I wished him a good night and closed the door behind me.

Once I walked back to the master bedroom I noticed Pepper in our en suite bathroom with her back to me in the shower. Without a thought or attempt to resist, I peeled my shirt off and roughly tugged off my sweat pants. Pepper sighed loudly over the sound of the rushing water when she felt my chest press against her back. Her hands found mine by our sides, feather lightly, her fingers travelled up my arms to grip tightly onto my biceps. My head dropped to her shoulder just enjoying the comforting scent of Pepper's coconut shower gel still lingering on her bare shoulder.

"Hey." I whispered, turning to nuzzle her neck affectionately.

"Hi."

"I missed you a lot." I started to leave a trail of butterfly kisses on her neck and brushed the tip of my nose across her jaw and shoulder.

"I can tell and I missed you a lot too." Pepper turned giving me better access to her neck, I still felt her press a kiss to my shoulder.

"I'm like a kid, when my toy gets given back to me I want to do everything with it and call it my favourite, and maybe even take it to bed with me."

"Wait... You just compared me to a toy?" Pepper groaned, a hint of a laugh playing in her voice.

"No..." I said back, sensing some trouble coming my way.

"Sure... Maybe tonight's not the best night. I love you though and I'm looking forward to y'know..." Pepper giggled playfully, running her fingers over my chest anyway. Bending forward to kiss my collar bone and then my lips.

"Oh. I know." I replied just as suggestively.

After finishing up in the shower Pepper left to get changed.

"Got any other smart ideas?" I asked myself talking into the mirror regarding Hammer. I was stuck as to where I could find him. Where we went from here now that we had hit a dead end. Where Evelyn went from here, would she need a therapist? Well, probably. She was due to enrol at MIT soon, I wasn't even sure what route to take with that it must be important to get back to normal as soon as possible. Is that what she would want? Shoved back into hardcore school work, revision and exams? I remembered what it was like- partly in between the countless parties, the nights I spent on mine and Rhodey's shared bathroom floor emptying the contents of my stomach into the toilet bowl because of how much I let myself get intoxicated.

"What are you thinking?" Pepper asked sheepishly leaning against the doorway, her voice puncturing the silence where I stood in a paused motion with my toothbrush half way to my mouth.

"Huh? I-What? Nothing." I bit the inside of my cheek to stop myself from smiling too much at the sight of Pepper wearing a pair of my dark grey sweats and white t-shirt which hung oh so sexily off of her shoulder.

"I know that look, Tony. Are you plotting some revenge plan against Hammer?"

"SHEILD know, so no we won't be letting him get away with it." I swiftly replied.

"Is that the best choice? We need to do this properly in order to help Evelyn's recovery, no rash decisions and nothing reckless and irresponsible."

"Pepper, you haven't exactly been here, all I could do is what I saw fit. Finding Hammer and making him regret what he did is something that needs to be done."

"I know," Pepper rubbed her forehead, "We'll do it properly. The last thing they need is to hear an argument or something."

"I've just gotten you back, Pepper. I missed you, the last thing I want to do is argue."

"I need you too." She stifled a cry with a sort of cough. Immediately I stopped what I was doing and set down my toothbrush. A surprised squeak bubbled from Pepper's lips when I scooped her up in my arms bridal style. She grinned up at me lovingly, containing her tears. Setting her down on the bed and scooting in next to her, Pepper noticed the tired dark circled lying unwelcomely under my eyes.

"Have you not been sleeping either?" Her fingers were like magnet to me tonight as they once again floated over her cool finger tips brush under my eyes delicately sent electrodes through my body at the seductive contact. Pepper was more than happy to get a few more kisses in a row.

"Can't say I have, honey." I darkly chuckled.

"Go to sleep, you-we both need it."

_… … … … … … … …_

The next thing I knew was the blindingly bright sun rays streaming through the untinted windows from my position on the bed. In fact I was almost off the bed, at some time during the night I must have rolled away from Pepper, now my arm was hanging off the bed and my pillows had lazily slumped half way off of my side of the bed.

"JARVIS." I grumbled loudly pulling my bunch of the covers over my head.

"Sorry, sir." JARVIS immediately apologized by tinting the windows a darker black putting any existing morning light into extinction. Except the colourless grey morning light that still managed to filter in. Rolling onto my back with the covers settled around my waist again, I cast my sights to the one thing I was sure as hell could never live without.


	24. Chapter 24 : Honey

_A/N ; __Hey :-) Don't hate for this small chapter, I've been trying to do some writing but I've sustained a teeeeny head injury, kind of... So be appreciative! I was watching Sex and The City and I thought Hey! I'll be a nice person! _

_But still! I cant wait to give you chapters 28 + ... Bear with me in between I can't write action scenes to save my life. _

_This chapters is Pepperony-ness and a little dedication to Skyfall. Even though I don't like the film the shaving scene inspired me._

_So read on, and REVIEW! PLEASE!_

_Chapter 24 : Honey._

_Pepper POV. _

I smirked in my shallow snooze when Tony grumbled and tugged the covers greedily over his head, still incoherently grumbling and just as restless as ever, Tony rolled over again with the covers he was just settling back around his waist giving me the most spectacular view of his muscular bare torso and perfectly defined arms through my just opened eyes.

I let Tony know I was awake by leaning forwards lazily, my lips softly placing a kiss on his muscular but surprisingly gentle to the touch bicep (just below his shoulder and in between the muscle.) ,Tony didn't say anything just swung his arm up for me to shuffle in closer.

"How was your oh-three hours sleep?" I ran a finger around the rim of his arc reactor slowly glancing at the clock at the same time.

"And the time is, uh-half five. Wonderful. Yeah, with you here I definitely slept better. What about you?" Tony's bourbon eyes found mine.

"I slept okay."

"I don't want to get up, ever. Can't we just-I dunno. Quit, erase the past week and finally go to Cipriani." Tony knew that could never happen especially at a time like this. But still I supposed he could dream the past week had never happened just as much as I wished it hadn't either.

"As much as I would like to say yes. A holiday would be inappropriate at a time like this, not to mention inconsiderate." I muttered staring off into no where in particular. Tony replied sadly for a few reasons.

"I know."

"We should get up and get on top of the situation." I pulled myself onto my elbows so I was leaning over him, Tony grinned. His hand running up and down my back until it settled fiddling with the bottom of the hem of his t-shirt I was wearing to bed.

Tony let out a rugged chuckle when my attempt to catch him in a meaningful kiss backfired and weirdly turned out to be a half kiss on the lips and half kiss on his facial hair; scratchy and morning-y, his now stubbly unkempt beard tickled against me which was itchy and would probably give me beard burn. Oh well, he looked really hot.

Tony lay in bed for ten more minuets while I aimlessly buzzed around throwing things from my suitcase into the right drawers and closets.

But when I turned on the water for the shower to let it heat up he noiselessly appeared behind me like an over excitable puppy or a really 'excitable' sixteen year old boy.

"Pepper? Where are my razors?" Tony called from the bathroom over the noise of him clattering around for a razor or razors in every wicker basket that were full of my cosmetic products.

"Where you left them?" I asked, flicking through channels to the news.

"No.. D'you think JARVIS took them?"

"Tony, how could a disembodied voice take your razors?" I sighed amusedly.

"So he could shave his motherboard?" Tony snorted appearing in the bedroom with his toothbrush hanging out of his mouth.

"How come I can see them from here?"

"Where?!" He whipped around in his towel staring into all corners of the room.

"Here." I walked into the bathroom picking one of them up. I smiled deviously and nudged him down onto my chair in front of the mirror (where I usually do my hair and make up.) and lay out the small amount, about four, razors he normally used along with shaving cream.

"What are you going to do to me, Potts?" Tony narrowed his eyes looking a bit scared.

"Fights bad guys and he's scared of his own wife and a few razors.." I sarcastically muttered watching him roll his eyes at the ceiling. I settled myself sideways across Tony's lap. Ignoring it when my t-shirt clung to his water droplet sheathed bare chest. Tony let me (and waited surprisingly patiently) massage the foamy soft, luxurious, most expensive brand there could be of shaving cream in the right places.

"Now I'm scared...This is when it all turns wonderfully hot or Sweeny Todd like." Tony quickly shut his eyes seeing me edge towards his throat with a sharp razor. I only laughed in response, letting the razor glide up along his exposed throat. His head fell back hitting the back of the chair with a dull thud. Tony's grip became tighter on my waist every time I pressed a kiss on the place I had just shaved.

"Your driving me crazy here." He growled under his breath.

"I think your about done, Iron Man." I grinned just finishing the more trickier parts underneath his bottom lip either side of the almost black widow spider double triangle sign and the thinning strips of facial hair extending across his jaw line.

"Well thanks, we should do that more often..."

"I'm just glad to have you back, honey." I kissed him again.

Tony laughed for a little while before his laughter mellowed out into a loud sigh.

"Back to reality I guess then?"

All I could do was nod going in to kiss his temple, instead Tony tipped his head up to kiss me on the lips soundly.

_... ... ... ... ... ..._

_Tony POV_

"Boss?" Happy walked through the house meeting Pepper and I in the kitchen. Both fully dressed and ready for an unexpected day full of events. Pepper finished off buttering a small pile of toast and I stood watching the pot of coffee boil when Happy walked in.

"Hey, Hap." I turned towards him at the same time Pepper did, seeing him with a sympathetic expression holding a brown envelope reading : Malibu General Hospital, California.

Happy knew what had happened to Evelyn and tried to stay out of her way not wanting to frighten her. Happy had obviously guessed what it was for as I took it, it's address read ; 'Miss. Evelyn Stark'.

"What's that?" Pepper asked suspiciously.

"These are Evelyn's test results from the hospital. I thought I'd pick them up, saves you two a journey. How's she doin', Boss?" Happy questioned tentatively.

"We're hoping she'll be okay. Thanks Hap."

"Thank you, Happy. She's a strong girl, she will get through this. We'll give her your love." Pepper added after I spoke, she walked over to Happy with a compassionate look on her face and patted his arm.

"Any word on Rhodes?"

"Ah, yeah. Rhodey's due on leave in the next few days, Tony." With a last nugget of information and a hearty good-bye from Happy, he went about his usual business at Stark Industries.

Pepper and I agreed to wait until Evelyn woke up to give her the test results rather than either me and Pepper reading them first. We supposed that would be better.

"What about MIT?" I handed her a steaming cup of coffee sure to hand it to her with the handle sticking towards her so she didn't burn herself.

"We can talk to her about it. As well as therapists and Uriah too."

"She doesn't need a therapist, Ev's has got us. And-huh? What do you mean Uriah, she's already seen him?" I bit into a triangle of toast. Wrinkling my nose when I realised it was getting cold.

"Tony, she will need a professional who knows what to say to her and how to treat the situation and who has a lot of experience, there's only so much we can do for her. Evelyn and Uriah, yeah." Pepper sipped her coffee in between rolling her eyes.

"I'm missing something here?"

"Nothing, darling." Pepper sighed placing a kiss on my cheek lovingly.

"Ooh. Say darling again, I like it when you call me darling." My hand started off low at her hip. Slowly letting my fingers linger upwards the side of her t-shirt. My hand gently hooked into her hair, pulling her mouth to mine. The kiss continued for a few more minuets, her fingers running through my dishevelled hair, down my neck and clasping onto my shoulders.

Suddenly Rowan groaned really loudly; announcing himself. But not loud enough to make Pepper and I pull apart.

"Oh god... That's disgusting! Come on! I think that's quite enough now, thanks... Stop!"

"This is how you got here, buddy. Get used to it." I pulled away from Pepper slightly chuckling at my son with his horrified expression.

"That's disgusting."

"Oh, Tony!" Pepper lightly slapped my cheek.

_... ... ... ... ... _

"I'm surprised you're not in the office today." I nudged at Pepper over the remains of breakfast. Rowan had grumbled off into the living room cacooning himself in his duvet and lying on the couch watching his box set of The Walking Dead.

"I'm Co-CEO, I can class this as an emergency leave." Pepper answered, drumming her fingers against the breakfast bar.

"I think you should go and see if she's awake. I have.. Uh-suits to build." I got up.

"What? What do you mean 'suits to build?" Pepper questioned incredulously.

"I'm Iron Man, aren't I?" I feigned some banter until I left her sight and let the abundant feeling pile on top of me.

_... ... ... ... ... ..._

Walking back upstairs a few hours later finding Pepper in the same place typing away on her laptop as professionally as ever.

"I can still make you one of those with the highest speed and max internet data."

"No thank you, I don't want you tinkering with my perfectly okay laptop, grease monkey." Pepper rolled her eyes as I pulled out a bottled water from the fridge and kicked the door shut.

I made a loud wincing sound.

"Ouch." When I bent down to kiss the side of her head I noticed the brown envelope slashed open. My hand crawled across the table and picked it up.

"I took it up to her, I felt bad having it down here." Pepper said in between the sharp sounds of her types.

"And?" I asked apprehensively and most impatiently.

"Huh, god. She's clean." Pepper breathed out relieved, her eyes closing and leaning back in her chair. I too let out a huge sigh of relief, skimming over the text of the letter just to reassure myself. No diseases. No new reminder for Evelyn.

In the next few minuets, JARVIS spoke up.

"Sir, Agent Coulson of SHEILD is on line one."

"JARVIS, I'm not really bothered about SHIELD's latest ass clowning attempt to find that sorry son of a bitch."

"Tony, don't be rude. Answer, it could important." Pepper tried to tell me off, but a smile played at her lips anyway.

"Ugh. Fine... What do you want Coulson?"

"Nice to hear your voice too, Stark. We've got a lead on Hammer, you better suit up. We're heading for Boston."


	25. Chapter 25 : No Name

_N/A: Hey guys :-) Update time, yay. Sorry it's a late update but it's twenty past twelve at night and I've just finished watching a film. This has been on my laptop for a while, but I haven't gotten round to editing and re-reading it so I've been busy thinking how crap it is, oh well. I don't think it's that bad?! The next 2-3 chapters I have to apologize for, they really are terrible. No underestimation there. And this whole Hammer will be going on for a while. I've just started chapter 32 and need to do more writing, loads more, writing about Hammer and how he gets caught or whatever. I've been thinking about this for a while but I'm going to change my rating to M, there's lots of serious topics coming up like serious hospital stuff, shootings (nothing to do with Hammer) and alcoholism. - Take a cheeky guess, I'd love to hear what you all think is going to be happening. _

_Also need to ask again ; How far do you want this to go? How far into the kids lives? _

_AND THIS CHAPTER HAS NO NAME BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO CALL IT, SO I'D LOVE SOME SUGGESTIONS AND THEN I'LL NAME IT ONE YOU CAN LEAVE IN YOUR REVIEWS!_

_PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!_

_X_

_Chapter 25 : {No Name} _

_Tony POV._

In the next few minuets, JARVIS spoke up.

"Sir, Agent Coulson of SHEILD is on line one."

"JARVIS, I'm not really bothered about SHIELD's latest ass clowning attempt to find that sorry son of a bitch."

"Tony, don't be rude. Answer, it could important." Pepper tried to tell me off, but a smile played at her lips anyway.

"Whatever. Fine... What do you want Coulson?"

"Nice to hear your voice too, Stark. We've got a lead on Hammer, you better suit up. We're heading for Boston."

Pepper gaped.

"You've found him-Hammer? You know where he is?" I stuttered in half disbelief half in the utter feeling of excellence.

"We got him, Stark. I'll send you the debrief." Coulson said and hung up a moment after.

In an instance I began to rush down to the workshop, Pepper stopped me.

"Wait, I'm coming down too. I need to know what's going on before you go or do anything rash."

"Right." I rubbed my forehead with my still oily hand probably leaving black finger marks.

Pepper and I quickly slipped from sight down to the workshop, jogging down the spiral stair case past the indoor water fountain with her hot on my heels.

"JARVIS, show me everything new from... 9AM this morning." I demanded clapping my hands together. Two holographic blue circles appeared to unlock my profile, with both hands I grabbed the two circles at the same time flinging them across the room and dragged up the 'debriefing' section I had installed after SHEILD started pestering me.

"Sir, I have categorised 2341 emails into junk and 3001 emails requiring your attention into your inbox." JARVIS told me, creating another hologram in front of me scanning through just the thousands of emails I received over last night and this morning.

"All of them in junk. Show me Coulson's brief, we got it yet?"

"98% downloading... 100% installed." JARVIS threw up the brief in front of me. There was so much information, text, pictures, addresses and videos as well as maps. I mean, maps! They really have this son of a bitch nailed. Gladly.

"Oh my-" Pepper gasped, sitting down on my swivel chair.

"Your telling me-now we've really got him."

Video's played on a lower volume, honestly more preferable. They were shot using a low quality phone camera but still, Hammer's form was more than obvious with his slimy demeanour in what seemed like a dark poker club with wanna-be slightly over weight playboy bunnies walking around him with various cocktails and spirited drinks, cocking their hips out his way and running their hot pink, tacky, false nailed hands down his cheap suit. It was disgusting to see him pleased with himself.

Surrounded by tacky women, cheap cigars and inexpensive drinks, Hammer was loosing spectacularly at a game of poker. But why was he playing poker? To make money? To win 'friends' or contacts.

Other useless footage showed Hammer taking women out of the clubs he seemed to go to quite often.

"China? Why would Hammer go to China?" Pepper caught my attention as she took the holographic birds eye map from the part of the brief window closest to her.

"China? Links maybe? But who could Hammer be associating with in China? Look at the slimy bastard, fucking about twenty different people in a week after he-"

"What are you doing?" Evelyn suspiciously asked from the stairs making both Pepper and I jump out of our skins.

_... ... ... ... ..._

_Pepper POV._

"What are you doing?" Evelyn suspiciously asked from the stair well making both Tony and I jump out of our skins.

Oh no, I hoped she hadn't heard what Tony just said. The last thing she needed was to hear about Hammer's movement let alone see his face on the video's Phil had just sent Tony in the briefing package.

"Nothing, Evelyn. Just go back upstairs." I tried to tell her reassuringly with a smile.

"Don't lie. If you want to make this-this whole situation or whatever you want to call it worse then you'll lie to me, but if you want to h-help then.. You'll tell me the truth," Evelyn sniffled several times before taking a deep breath, "Because strictly I'm done crying."

"Good for you, hon." Tony grinned.

"That's good. And now you can begin to move on." As I said this I felt my nose sting and tears began to gather threatening to spill over. Although, I felt it was a little soon to start moving on. Surely you need to cope throughout the distress and agonizing pain long enough before you can take control and say "I'm in control of my life now, now it's time to move on.".

"So, what's happening?"

"We found him, Evs. In Boston." Tony told her softly just as Evelyn sat down on the last step, now looking terrified (but not tearful) at the mention of him.

"Don't do anything stupid, Dad. I know what you're thinking." Evelyn warned her father unsteadily.

"Evelyn, he's not just a threat, he hurt you in the worst way. I need to do something in order to protect the people I care most about. I have to threaten him back. All of us want to hurt him back, Natasha, Clint, Bruce, Steve, Thor, Uncle Rhodey will be there, I'm sure. And most of all I want to hurt him back." Tony passionately spoke as if it were the most important thing in the world to him, and I knew it was. We all did.

"Well, then you need to do this for me : don't make anything worse than it has to be."

"She's right, Tony." Quietly agreeing with my daughter who was being so grown up and mature in this moment.

Tony looked from me to Evelyn, Evelyn to me. Just when he was about to let another round of speech from his lips to fight his case- Rowan came walking slowly down the stairs like he was trying to creep away from someone.

"Um.. Grandma, Grampa, Uncle Jake and Aunty Caroline are here."

"They're what?!" Tony exclaimed loudly, throwing his arms up either side of him in frustration and, if I'm honest, complete inconvenience.

"Why are they-are you sure?... Oh, Tony we completely forgot!" Gasping at all of the people in the room. Rowan scoffed and snorted.

"Well, it could be the postman and his family but they look oddly familiar to me."

"Alright, alright. Come up with me, honey." I rolled my eyes at Rowan who could be way too much like his father sometimes. Taking Rowan up the spiral staircase with Evelyn walking behind us nervously wringing her hands out ready to greet the forgotten visit.

_... ... ... ... ..._

_Tony POV._

"I'll be up in a second, Pepper!" I yelled up the stairs after her just catching her before Pepper left the last step.

"JARVIS? Call Rhodey for me."

"Calling Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes..." JARVIS kindly and quickly complied, putting the phone on loud speaker as I waited impatiently hoping Rhodey would pick up and help me kick Hammer's ass.

"Tony, hey." Rhodey greeted happily.

"Rhodes, I need your help." I spoke abruptly. Not pausing for greetings.

"Wait-what? Tony, what's going on?" Rhodey knew me, knew me enough to tell when my tone was off. Off enough for something to be out of sorts.

"Just let me explain and hopefully War Machine can lend us the big guns."

_... ... ... ... ... ..._

_Pepper POV. _

"Mom." I breathed seeing her confused expression, meeting them all in the kitchen. Mom, Dad, my brother Jake and my sister Caroline. All of their luggage neatly stacked by the door. I couldn't believe I forgot all about them coming down to Malibu and staying with us for a while as I felt bad and invited them in a few weeks ago that we hadn't seen them as often as we should. Which is bad seeing as Mom and Dad want to see their grandchildren more often, and the kids usually had fun with their Uncle Jake and Aunty Caroline. I quickly whipped around to send both Rowan and Evelyn out of the room before anyone pounced on Evelyn.

"Uh- Evelyn go and get your father, please? Rowan, help out with the luggage, please?"

"Sure." Evelyn turned quickly, brushing her hair out of her face and wrapping her arms around herself.

"There's nicer ways to get rid of me." Rowan grumbled before gathering a handful of luggage and carrying it out of the room.

"Thank you." I rubbed Rowan's back as he left.

"Check you out, Ginny, mom of the year!" Jake laughed in a playful manner, punched my shoulder and then pulled me into a hug.

"Good to see you again, sweetheart. You all need to come down to us sometime." Dad kissed my forehead, Caroline and I also exchanged tight hugs.

"I've missed you, sis!"

"And you, Carrie!" I held my sister tightly. Mom jumped over, ever fussing, and began fiddling with my hair.

"Oh, sweetheart. You're working yourself too hard, you look exhausted. You must tell Tony if he's asking you to do too much, you may not be his PA anymore, but you are the mother of his children so that's a free card to relaxation and a little time to yourself." Mom told me sternly, again, blaming Tony for anything just because he used to be a playboy.

"Mom, Tony doesn't work Ginny too hard, it's probably the other way round!" Jake snorted.

"She looks fine, Mom. Ginny, you look great." Caroline frowned at Mom the same time I did.

"Yeah it is, I usually have to kick his ass about something or another. Then again, you try sitting in a board meeting with Tony Stark and expect to behave or expect him to not start drawing on the paper on poking me with the pens or texting JARVIS and getting him to be like Siri. Anyway, I'm rambling... Can we all just-take a seat a minuet. I need to talk to you all," I only carried on when my family sat down around me, wearing very suspicious and puzzled expressions, "Right. Firstly, I'm sorry I forgot about you all coming-You can still stay! That's all fine! But there's a lot of stuff... Uh-going on. At the start of the week Evelyn was raped." There. I said it. Their expressions in response to what I had just said were indescribable. Jake looked absolutely dumbfounded, horrified and disgusted.

"You what?"

"You heard me, Jake." I barely breathed looking down at the table. Ignoring my own tears even when they cascaded down onto the table. Mom and Dad were rendered silent gaping at me, and at each other. Caroline instantly followed my lead in that tears rolled down her slightly blushed cheeks. I was grateful when I heard Tony's slightly scatty footsteps coming my way.

"Hey-Pepper?"

"I told them." I quickly waved him off.

"What's being done? Police?" Mom spoke up loudly and a little angrily.

"Police? What-no, no police. Police mean press and reporters. That's not the route we're heading." Tony sternly retorted leaning against the back of my chair with his hand on my shoulder, squeezing gently.

"Do you know who did this?" Dad gave my mom a look. My Dad was humble, wholesome man but he was able to let my mom know to not get angry.

"Yeah, if we know surely that makes it easier to do something, right?" Caroline moved from her seat to take the one closest to me and reached over to hold my hand tightly. I squeezed back.

"Yes, we do know. Old enemy kind of thing." Tony muttered, probably beginning to feel the awkwardness and an upcoming argument probably.

Mom made quite a show of dramatically rolling her eyes and heaving out a sigh in frustration, muttering about Tony being selfish.

"Mom, come on. This isn't Tony's fault. He's been great this week."

"It's alright, Pepper. I've been there for my daughter, Clarissa, _my daughter_, every hour of the night when she woke up crying from the nightmares she had from that weasel, all of the stuff with Hammer happened way before their time. Don't tell me I'm a selfish person because I'd do anything for those kids and Pepper." Tony erupted, making Jake and Caroline smirk. From my chair I stood up placing both my palms on his chest until he looked at me. Tony's fiery glare instantly turned into a tender gaze once his eyes connected with mine.

"It's no ones fault, just leave it at that." Dad leaned over and squeezed mom's shoulder.

"How can you even begin to blame Tony?" Jake asked Mom incredulously with a expression mixed with hilarity and anger.

"Honey, I'm not blaming anyone-"

"Stop arguing because of me!" Evelyn cried out all of a sudden. Making everyone in the room jump. No one, especially Tony and I, expected Evelyn to bound out of herself like that. Threading her fingers through her hair and trying to keep the increasingly visible tears from flowing; determined not to go back on her word.


	26. Chapter 26 : Panic Attack

_A/N : Hello! Thanks for putting up with the lack of updates! I am again putting it off because this is all going incredibly shit! YAY! Oh well. I might update the next few in bulk so you can put up with the terribleness and find out what happens.._

_Anyway, not a lot else to say. Have fun reading!_

_Please, please, please… REVIEW!_

_Chapter 26 : Panic Attacks._

_Pepper POV._

"How can you even begin to blame Tony?" Jake asked Mom incredulously with a expression mixed with hilarity and anger.

"Honey, I'm not blaming anyone-"

"Stop arguing because of me!" Evelyn cried out all of a sudden. Making everyone in the room jump. No one, especially Tony and I, expected Evelyn to bound out of herself like that. Sweeping her fingers through her hair and trying to keep the increasingly visible tears from flowing; determined not to go back on her word.

"Evelyn, go back upstairs." Tony sighed, beginning to step over to Evelyn and guide her out of the room. By the time he gently placed his palms on her shoulders she unexpectantly threw him off.

"It's not Dad's fault. So don't even begin to blame him, okay?"

"Sweetheart, I wasn't blaming your father. I think you should go upstairs now and let the adults talk this over." Mom asked her quite patronizingly. I think all of us internally cringed as to what Evelyn's response would be.

"No." Evelyn snapped back with a dead pan tone, her expression a little unreadable. Tony stood by a proud smirk gracing his features.

Things can only hopefully get better.

_... ... ... ... ... ... ... _

_Tony POV. _

Everything was nearly set. The whole of SHEILD and Fury were obviously involved -that was the unfortunate side. Fury trying to have complete control of the situation. But still, I supposed we needed his 'protection' if that's what you would like to call it.

I couldn't wait to get my hands on Hammer. Rip him apart in revenge of him ripping my daughter apart, my daughter who will always be my little girl no matter how grotesque the abuse inflicted upon her was. Ensuring she would have a totally different behaviour, band of emotions and future for the rest of her life. None of us will ever forgive him for that.

Gladly a little while later JARVIS notified me Rhodey was just pulling in the drive as we spoke. Abandoning a stack of paperwork Pepper finally made me sit down to and sign, groaning profoundly with each signature I scribbled carelessly.

"Rhodey! Oh, Platypus. I've missed you!" I smiled at my best friend opening the glass front door.

"You missed me? Hang on... This text you sent me," Rhodey laughed digging his phone out of his leather jacket's pocket and held it up before chuckling at the text I sent him a few hours ago : _"'Sour patch; drop your heels and grab your skates, there's a road trip with the band of merry men to Boston. Bring those jazzy leg warmers from the 90's too, War Machine needs a bit of 90's lovin'.'"_

"Yep. But I'm afraid the whole band of merry men are coming." I sarcastically groaned at him just as Pepper clopped down the stairs in those ridiculous heels of her's again. I had to admit she waltzed around in them so effortlessly showing off her desirable long, nine mile long, slender, slightly tanned legs.

"Rhodey, how are you?!" Pepper smiled excitedly bringing Rhodey into a hug.

"I'm good, I'm good. What about you? How's... Evelyn?" Rhodey hugged Pepper back, but timidly asked the last question. Some part of me sensed Rhodey's nearly undetectable fright. The same fright all the men in the house had felt so far, fright of Evelyn being intimidated by the people she loved the most.

"I'm fine, thank you, Rhodey. Mostly pretending she's okay, we think. But y'know... It'll get better." Pepper sighed hopelessly crossing her arms across her chest.

"Of course it will... Oh, hey Ro. How's it going?" Rhodey took Rowan under his arm, just as my son wandered up too meet his honory Uncle Rhodey, mussing up his already messy hair just like everyone else did. But this was Uncle Rhodey so it didn't really matter to Rowan at all.

"Quite shit, if you ask me."

"Watch your mouth, young man." Pepper scolded Rowan while I just let a laugh bubble from my lips.

"Ah, we brought them up so well, Pep!" I laughed at the typical irony of Rowan busting out the cussing when his grandparents are here.

"Rowan?! Can you come here a minuet, please?!" Clarissa called from the kitchen, making us all cringe and then laugh at Rowan's expression. I playfully shoved him in the right direction, earning one hell of a look.

_... ... ... ... ... ... ..._

"Evelyn?"

"Yeah, Dad?" Evelyn sat up from her slouched position on the bed.

"Mind if we talk? You got a second?" Looking behind me Pepper followed me into her bedroom as I edged in. Evelyn shifted into a more guarded behaviour. Although earlier on she said she was done crying about what happened, the puffy redness around her eyes told us otherwise. Which was understandable. I knew Evelyn wouldn't be able to switch off her emotions just like that over such a big crisis.

"We need to ask you what you want to do?" Pepper asked Evelyn timidly sitting next to her on the bed. I pulled up the swivvley chair from her desk.

"Want to do?" Evelyn repeated looking from me to Pepper in slight confusion.

"About school? School break is ending soon and MIT are expecting you there. But we can get things like tutors and your dad has all of the things downstairs so you won't miss out any practical lessons, it'd be like your own private MIT classes?" Pepper tucked some hair behind Evelyn's ear.

"I want to go. I need to, I can't stay around the house all of the time. It's just not helping anyone." Evelyn muttered wringing her hands out.

"Are you sure?" I asked her. Not able to gain some eye contact with Evelyn. Pepper read my unconvinced expression.

"Yeah... I am sure. Move on right? Don't dwell on the past or whatever."

"Moving on takes a lot of effort, honey and this is still very recent." Pepper said.

"Can you just please go along with what I want? Seeing as your doing your own thing in the mean time." Evelyn suddenly spat back.

"What do you mean? Please don't keep anything bottled up, any concerns tell someone." Pepper kept calm though this mini-outburst. Mood swings were quite common as an after effect for a rape victim; I knew this because I Googled it.

"Your going to find him. Find him and then god knows what! What if anyone got hurt? Dad, what if you got hurt? I wouldn't forgive myself because I would blame myself. What if we're identifying your dead body in a matter of hours?!" Evelyn began to cry, tears spilling over. Quickly trying to catch them with her fingertips. My heart erupted in a fit of mixed emotions. Tenderness, adoring and melancholy emotions rumbled throughout my veins spring me into that all to familiar fatherly mode.

"Hey, hey! Come on, how am I going to get hurt? I'm Iron Man, right?" I chuckled dryly, leaping off the chair in an instant crouching down in front of Evelyn. Bunching her hands up, enclosing them in between mine pressing them to my mouth with a quick kiss.

"Honey, I'm doing this for you. So you can move on with your life and not have to fear if he may be waiting around the next corner to hurt you again."

Next to us, Pepper wore a tiny smile.

"You can't guarantee that though. You can't promise me you'll come home okay that night. 'Cause what if you don't? Superman has his kryptonite, right?" Evelyn sniffled finally meeting my eyes with her heartbroken ones.

"Evelyn, sweetie, I have gold titanium alloy wrapped around me, I'll be fine. It'll be like a drive through on the hellicarrier. In 'n' out. If you don't mind me saying, Superman is about as straight as a round-a-bout, he wears tights and then underwear on top. At least I know what goes first. My weaknesses are you guys and I keep you safe, so what is there to be afraid of?" I cracked another smile. Evelyn just leaned forward looping her arms around my neck. Digging her nose in the crook of my neck, my skin receptors picking up her hot quick breath.

_... ... ... ... ... ... ... _

"Bruce?" I called out from the triangular conference meeting like table on the hellicarrier. Everyone was here. Steve now dressed in his usual get up of his spangled Captain America uniform minus the hood/helmet thing, Clint and Natasha sat around me in their agent uniform loading up her guns and Clint storing all of his arrows away, Rhodey stood around fully clad in the War Machine armour except from the helmet stored under his arm.

Thanks to the new upgrades to the Mark 7, I could easily walk out of it, and then when I wanted walk back into it's unravelled form where all of the plates of metals and screws would all bind together around me all suited up and ready to go. This was such a better solution to having the bots take the armour off of me. Thor wasn't here, he had urgent matters to attend to in Asgaurd, probably something somehow connected to Loki.

And so far, Bruce wasn't too keen on turning all big and green again.

"Yes, Tony?" Bruce ever so patiently replied walking back over to me over the noise and professional chatter of the hellicarrier's main room of action, Maria Hill could be found waltzing up and down the elevated isles of the vast amount of space beyond me through all the computers, Fury consulting with Coulson and general chatter with one another.

"Not suiting up with the rest of us again then?"

"No. I don't think so, Tony. The-the Other Guy isn't so good at keeping a low profile." Bruce stated dryly staring down at his tablet.

I sighed loudly in disappointment again.

"So, what are you going to do?"

"Um. Well, I'll probably be in the lab. Waiting for you all to get back and for the debrief." Bruce grinned. In the next few minuets Bruce politely excused himself to go and work in the lab.

Behind me, Fury, Coulson and Hill began to talk. Talking about how big this capture or fixing agent or whatever you would like to call going to find Hammer could escalate. They began to discuss press and what they could do if the news reporters turned up with their camera crews to find The Avengers in a backstreet alley beating Hammer half to death. It was then New York was brought up.

I heard increasingly blurred voices behind me. Nor was I too sure who said them.

_"-Not like the wormhole Stark flew into, it's just Hammer."_

_"-Exactly, no ones flying into a wormhole. No ones sending a nuke into space and falling back down unconscious." _

_"-We may be unprotected in the world, as we've just found out, but it won't be like New York!"_

_"-Hill's right. There may be other threats, other people wanting to target each and every one of them but this is Hammer. And Hammer doesn't possess much power."_

_I'm just a man in a can. I can't protect the things I care about. __**I lied**__._

Their voices behind me faded out and suddenly everything became like a movie.

Hyperventilation suddenly made small gasps of oxygen begin to wheeze in and out of my lungs, my throat turned very dry and constricted. Panic spread throughout my body in a thin but irritatingly uncomfortable sheen along my palms, face, neck and under my clothes.

What was happening to me? Tremors shook across my panicking frame.

Before anyone could notice too much, I launched myself out of my seat.

Fumbling my way down the hallway despite my trembling legs, heaving chest and panicky state, I reached a doorway and wrenched it out of my way. Not at all taking in any surroundings, I headed into the room blurred by my vision. I felt as if this was an out of body experience.

My bleach white knuckles turned impossibly whiter as my hands clenched into fists, wrapping into myself as I slid down the now closed door. Pulling my knees up to my chest and letting my head fall forward onto my knees, my erratic hyperventilation didn't cease one bit. Panic crushed down like a tsunami over me again and again realising this was all too very real and I couldn't do it. Didn't know if I could do it. An unimaginable amount of increased panic struck in a nauseas wave when I heard voices and footsteps over the sounds of my deafening heartbeat and breathing.

"Tony?" It was then I absorbed where I was. Bruce called my name tentatively with concern just as the tears threatened to spill over. _Pull it together, Tony._

"Banner, what's-?" Steve's puzzled voice came quieter from behind Bruce from what I could tell.


	27. Chapter 27 : Don't Panic

**_A/N : Update time!_**

**_Not too much to say except for sorry 1000000x for my horrible action writing, but still review pleasssee!_**

**_Ooooooh! Quick question ; DO YOU WANT TONY TO KILL JUSTIN HAMMER?!_**

**_Be nice and review :-) _**

**_x_**

_C__hapter 27 : Don't Panic._

_Tony POV._

An unimaginable amount of increased panic struck in a nauseas wave when I heard voices and footsteps over the sounds of my deafening heartbeat and breathing.

"Tony?" It was then I absorbed where I was. Bruce called my name tentatively with concern just as the tears threatened to spill over. _Pull it together Tony. You've just walked into the freaking lab._

"Banner, what's-?" Steve's puzzled voice came quieter from behind Bruce from what I could tell.

JARVIS broke the apprehensive silence of concern from my two team mates staring at me from where I stayed curled in on myself with my head on my knees up against the door.

"Sir, I am sorry to interrupt but I would like to inform you your wife and children have just arrived on board." JARVIS said through my in ear, making my head whip up and almost hitting the door behind me in the process.

Breathing still a little erratic, Bruce came over slowly as not to alarm me further and crouched down next to me. Casting a totally alien look in his eyes towards me, like I was someone else.

"Tony? You need to breath nice and deeply-"

I cut him off by jumping to my feet so quickly Bruce looked up at me in shock. Pausing for a minuet I read Steve's confused and shocked expression trying to figure out what had just happened.

Awkwardly fumbling with the door again, I rushed out. Not looking behind me once. My legs threatened to give out beneath me. Raking my hands frustrated through my hair trying to work out what happened to me just a few minuets ago.

_... ... ... ... ... ... ..._

_(Around An Hour and Twenty Minuets Later.) _

_Tony POV._

_"Sir... Sir... Sir, I urge you to take... Control of the-the..." JARVIS's voice around me faded out gradually as I was transported into a black atmosphere with the sensation of my head spinning and a rushing, rollercoaster plummeting like feeling since my body left it's senses. With numbness and a sense of wayward, voices funnelled through in a metallic, thick sound calling my name._

_"Stark!" Was shouted from all directions, otherwise unable to answer all I could do was listen and continue to fall through an endless amount of blackness. However one voice I could pick out from the rest. _

_"Tony!" _

_... ... ... ... ... ..._

_(Back To Reality/To The Top.)_

"Tony?" Pepper's concerned voice pulled me out of a receding state of shock and vulnerability. Still feeling way too vulnerable and shocked Bruce and Steve saw me like-like that, what ever that was.

Leaning against a near by wall feebly seeing Pepper looking at me like I was someone else caused me to come back to my senses almost like a reflex.

"Pepper! When did you-" I fought to keep my voice under control.

"Just now- Tony, are you okay? Your shaking like a leaf and a little pale?" Pepper narrowed her eyes at me and reached over to touch my forehead with her palm.

"What?-No. Nothings going on." I scoffed and shrugged away. Trying to smudge off the beads of sweat that had developed on my forehead with my equally sweaty palm.

"If you say so. Do you know when... It's going to happen?" Pepper struggled for the right word for when we were going to get Hammer.

"Soon. Forty minuets maybe. Come on, I think everyone's getting ready or debriefing or something."

Bringing Pepper to the part of the hellicarrier which I had just ran from, she still shot me looks of worry.

As soon as we entered Bruce and Steve looked at me. Their eyes burning a cringe worthy hole in my head as I awkwardly rubbed the back of my neck with one hand and held Pepper's hand with the other.

"Are we doing this or what?" I half growled seeing every pair of eyes on me.

"Let's go." Steve replied fiercely, jostling his shield up on his arm properly as he strode past us powerfully followed by Natasha who eyed me, gave Pepper a small smile loading her guns up at the same time. Clint marched after Natasha, swinging his bow by his side.

Rhodey clanked over.

"Y'ready, man?" He lay a heavily chrome metal clad hand on my weakened shoulder.

"Let's go catch us a Hammer, Rhodes." I replied by slapping a hand on his upper arm making a light clang and my hand sting a little.

"That's what I like to hear." He replied, putting on the open helmet which clasped down an powered up, the HUD's lighting up as all the metal plates connected with each other.

I set of to suit up. And get a hold on myself.

I never had taken up meditation so I knew nothing about breathing techniques and whale noises. Breathing as deeply as I could despite the metal wrapping around my fame. Kissing Pepper soundly on the lips and leaving her out of danger on the hellicarrier like I was some soldier marching off to war leaving my high school sweetheart at home to look after the kids.

Flying in the jet only a few seats were occupied by myself, Steve and Rhodey. Natasha and Clint played the role of pilot today, successfully gliding us through the clouds unnoticed to the publics prying eyes to the destination in Boston, a few miles from the hellicarrier. The look on everyone's face truly looking like we were heading off to war with their morbid expressions.

Natasha was set to go and drag Hammer away into a more secluded area, most probably to a backstreet ally in the urbanised areas of Boston. The last time we tracked Hammer he was hanging around the cheap roulette bars trying to win some cash and imminently some allies.

"Tony?" Rhodey's voice made my head snap up, the quick motion snappy enough to make me realise just how un-like me I felt. The dizziness still lingered as well as a thin sheen of sweat and a waxy complexion.

Apparently, this was noticeable in Rhodey's expression as he traded his seat with the one next to mine.

Rhodey patted my shoulder. Staring into my eyes.

"Man, you look- Are you sure you want to go through with this? I'm always here to back your battles, as you know, but you don't look too good."

"Backing out isn't an option. This needs to be done." I told him sternly. Giving my friend the tiniest of smiles, I knew he would be by my side on this.

"I hope you ladies are done chatting. We're here." Natasha briefly turned her head to announce that we had infact arrived.

Rhodey and I joined our helmets to the rest of our suit and snapped the faceplates down.

Natasha lowered the ramp to the back, once we landed and 'parked up'. On the outskirts of town where a lot of people tended to cower into their houses to our advantage.

Rhodey and I hit the skies, being sure to keep out of sights.

From above the more suburban, unkempt, (and the places you'd see a drug addict really stooping at his lowest point) lower class areas of town, not many people were around. Although, the few people that were lingering in back alleys and street corners did exactly that. Lingered. Which made me suspicious to say the least.

"Something's not right here, Rhodey. Either there's a fish bar selling really strong fish or something's real fishy about this. You scanned the area for Hammer?" I spoke through our intercom system, spotting a man who seemingly spied us still in the sky. The man casually strolled down the sidewalk, almost too casually with his hands in his pockets, passing a woman. He made quite a show of bumping into her, clipping her on the shoulder and launching her handbag (and most of her belongings) onto the grey paved sidewalk.

"Yep. Scanned it. Hammer's in town. 10 blocks down, to be exact." Rhodey's sudden voice made me jolt mid-air. I went to wipe some beads of sweat from my brow when the clang of metal on metal against my forehead told me I would have to hang on with whatever was going on with my body right now.

Throughout Rhodey's speech, once I averted my attention back to the man and woman. Both crouched down he was helping her pick up her belongings. He said something. They swapped places in that the man changed to lean against the wall and she proceeded down the sidewalk, peering over her shoulder several times, holding something in her hand. A phone? A piece of paper?

"What are you two up to?" Rhodey quietly asked rhetorically, I could his eyes trailing after the woman and pinning the man on the HUD screen inside my own helmet.

"Your telling me. That looked a little rehearsed. Now, can we crack on?" I breathed, getting more and more restless and to be honest, a little motion sick from my funny episode earlier and flying around straight after not really giving myself a chance to recover, so to speak.

"Are you sure your okay? You don't wanna stand down for this one?" Rhodey's eyes flickered up to mine on the holographic screen in the suit, catching me dramatically rolling my eyes.

"This isn't a baseball game."

"The Black Widow is over there." Rhodey spotted Natasha fully clad in her black Black Widow cat suit. Guns firmly in hand, she apparently had scanned the area as well. Natasha strutted determinedly down the quiet back alleys away from us.

"Stand down, Rhodey, Stark, stay where you are. We don't need two of the most famous superheroes busting in there." Natasha spoke through her intercom, checking behind her every few minuets.

A soft whistle below me caught my attention. The two of us, Rhodey and I, looked down to spot Agent Barton aka Hawkeye crouched on the very ledge of a roof top. Just alerting us where he was and had us covered.

Captain America tailed Natasha closely, surveying the area. Gun shots pierced the air like an untimely lighting bolt. Pausing everyone's actions. Cap and the Black Widow had regrettably vanished from sight. The street below War Machine, Hawkeye and I filled with a round of gun shots and drunken shouted and the struggle of fighting.

"Whoops, here we go.." Rhodey dipped and dived toward the source of noise. I too shakily dipped downwards towards the commotion. Out of breath already, the racket sourced from a sleazy looking bar.

Joining the rest of the team down below in the bedraggled, grungy back alleys where a fight had ensued. Clint stormed past, weaving through the crowd of drunken men who had flooded out of the bar after Natasha. Clint rushed to her aid.

_... ... .. ... ... ..._

_Natasha POV._

"Clint!" I called out to my parter as calmly as ever, telepathically motioning for him to shoot an arrow at someone in the eye I felt advancing on me when he wasn't even looking.

Rushing and spinning effortlessly around each other head butting, punching and kicking to fend off the hoard of drunken men.

At first, I waltzed into the bar full of a thick curtain of light grey smoke and the smell of stale beer, with Hammer, surprisingly in my sights. Rather easy, I thought at first.

Tucking his cigars back into the breast pocket of his cheap suit coat, he threw the rest of his malt whiskey down his throat and shot a snidey expression around the bar. Hammer's snidey expression was in aid of the other men's reactions seeing me fully clad in my Black Widow cat suit. towards me. In no time at all the drooling men arose from their chairs, their hands latched on to me quickly. Obviously taking a liking towards me. I speedily reacted tossing the tossers this way and that away from me. From there, it all escalated.

The boozed up men joined the fiasco. The haul flooded onto the backstreet ally like a tidal wave. And Justin Hammer vanished from sight.

"Nat? Nat!" Clint shouted out firing me back into motion, making me react to him getting over loaded with these men...Men who were blotched with fiery red skin and crimson eyes that certainly weren't there before. _Oh, crap._


	28. Chapter 28 : Every Hero Has His Atrophy

_A/N : Update time! Sorry it's been a little while, I've had these flaming compulsory catch up lessons after school because I'm a lazy sod and got found out for using Google Translate for French home work, I'm not French therefore I haven't got a clue how to do the language!_

_Right, thank you for your lovely reviews and what not, jolly good. Continue to do so please! _

_I apologize again for my horrific action writing but this is one of my favourite chapters and this small story line I'm getting on with. Don't hate me for what happens. _

_Oooh, and the italics in the bit near the end are what Tony is thinking. _

_Please REVIEW MY BIG CHAPTER FOR THE NEXT AND TO FIND OUT WHAT'S WRONG WITH TONY... CLIFFY! _

_REEEEEEEEEEEVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEW ! :-)_

_X_

_Chapter 28 : Every Hero Has His Atrophy._

_Previously... _

_Natasha POV._

_"Clint!" I called out to my parter as calmly as ever, telepathically motioning for him to shoot an arrow at someone I felt advancing on me when he wasn't even looking._

_Rushing and spinning effortlessly around each other head butting, punching and kicking to fend off the hoard of drunken men._

_At first, I waltzed into the bar full of a thick curtain of light grey smoke and the smell of stale beer, with Hammer, surprisingly in my sights. Tucking his cigars back into his breast pocket, he threw the rest of his malt whiskey down his throat and shot a snidey expression around the bar. Hammer's snidey expression was in aid of the other men's reactions seeing me fully clad in my Black Widow cat suit. In no time at all the drooling men arose from their chairs, their hands latched on to me quickly. Obviously taking a liking towards me. I speedily reacted tossing the tossers this way and that away from me. From there, it all escalated. _

_The boozed up men joined the fiasco. The haul flooded onto the backstreet ally like a tidal wave. And Justin Hammer vanished from sight._

_"Nat? Nat!" Clint shouted out firing me back into motion, making me react to him getting over loaded with these men... Men who were blotched with fiery red skin and crimson eyes that certainly weren't that colour before._

_... ... ... ... ... ... ... _

_Tony POV. _

Now all hell had broken loose and all I could do was stare in both shock and horror_. What a hero_. No one had seemed to notice the distress I had involuntarily thrust upon me by the alien situation and the beginnings of a panic. _Aliens_.

_Tony, come on. This isn't the time to loose it. This isn't like N-New York. Stop thinking about it. Not aliens. Human beings. Not aliens. Human beings._

Barely pulling myself together, JARVIS lent me a hand and began to fire some missiles towards the battle scene below. Rhodey had busied himself helpfully.

Then I saw it. These men. If I could even call them men seemed alien like. Their flesh glowed a crimson red with tints of orange in a volcanic fashion, rumbling underneath their blotchy flesh. They used their volcanic fire arms to burn either Steve, Natasha, Clint or Rhodey who were busy fighting down on the ground.

I launched down, shakily, to a more accessible level and began to fight off these mutant like men. Justin Hammer was no where in my sights. He probably made a hasty exit.

"Sir, I regret to report Mrs. Stark and the children have left the hellicarrier's premises." JARVIS told me a few minuets later, distracting me completely, in that second of motionlessness, I got knocked to the ground. Grunting out in pain and unable to pull myself up out of shock and a heated agony. It felt as if my suit was being moulded with heat to my body. One of them must be on me. Positioning the repulsor on the gauntlets above my head, I blasted using my boots and flew out of his fiery grip. Only to launch myself into the red bricked wall opposite.

"Thank you, J, for that distraction!" I snapped at my AI.

"Tony!" Rhodey shouted. Seeing me crumple to the floor, he set himself to covering my ass, firing the men out of attacking distance.

"I got it." I grimaced, seeing his concerned expression through the interfaced screen in my helmet. Again disrupting my train of thought and action was the sound of chopper blades.

"Stark, get up top! I need a perimeter and check out those helicopters and take 'em down if you can. Rhodes, you too!" Steve yelled over the outrageous racket. Nodding to him and to Rhodey; I shot up into the sky with Rhodey hot on my trail. Somewhere in the distance a loud series of smashing projected to where I flew.

The helicopters, a pair of them, got closer and closer. Beneath them was a pair of nukes. White, streamlined nukes. I panicked. The up most tightening in my chest and throat occurred in seconds, like a reflex. I began to sweat in the titanium alloy casing of my suit. My breath left my lungs in a matter of seconds remembering carrying a nuke in New York that was almost identical to that one staring me right in the face. Nausea washed over me in a fatal tsunami like wave. Throughout, my heart thumped against my severed ribcage, seemingly trying to escape my chest and battle it's way out of the metal Iron Man suit. Legs, arms and my entire frame feeling like paper. No feeling of strength and that they could keep me up.

I faltered.

The nuke fired. Unable to respond. I launched into a panic attack an instant before it impacted on my back. The hit was a brisk clip against my lower back. But still evidently painful after shock shot through the metal. A flash of green and I was on my way out in a numb, dark, plunging sensation. I was sure I'd met my end.

"Sir... Sir... Sir, I urge you to take... Control of the-the..." JARVIS's voice around me faded out gradually as I was transported into a black atmosphere with the sensation of my head spinning and a rushing, rollercoaster plummeting like feeling since my body left it's senses. With numbness and a sense of wayward, voices funnelled through in a metallic, thick sound calling my name.

"Stark!" Was shouted from all directions, otherwise unable to answer all I could do was listen and continue to fall through an endless amount of blackness. However one voice I could pick out from the rest.

"Tony!" _Rhodey?_

_... ... ... ... ... ... _

_Rhodey POV._

I saw Tony plummet. With no control of the suit at all. The suits repulsors on the gauntlets and boots flickered on and off. The missile collided with Tony so fast, I could have sworn it was a lightning bolt. Milliseconds before the screen insight I had into his helmet in my own helmet was disrupted during the blow, Tony was visibly panicking. Why would he, he's done this tons of times before? More than I had.

We were in fact, so high up he fell at a tremendous height and speed showing no attempts of slowing down or trying to gain control of the suit. Limp and doll like, Tony, fully encased in the Iron Man suit collided once more with a concrete wall before his terrible downfall ended and threw him with full force onto the hard ground.

"Tony!" I shouted so loudly, starting to fly down towards my best friend now reduced to a metallic crumpled mess on the ground. Before I could, the air whipped around me as the Hulk, unexpectantly, ran full force through the buildings. Leaving a huge mess in the process. The Hulk tore through, dived on the nuke over the mass of mutant like men, Tony's team had now cleared themselves away from only to stare in shock at the crumpled state of Tony's body on the cold, hard ground. Lying very uncomfortably in the suit in a distressing position.

The Hulk, played the role of the hero he was and always denied himself to be, and took the full impact of the nuke as it's fiery flames still managed to escape into the open. But no doubt managed to char the enemies beneath.

All of us exchanged a look of fright at the sight of Tony's complete stillness and the fact the suit seemed to have powered down, and JARVIS wasn't answering back to us as we spoke and shouted frantically.

"Call Pepper. And-and... Someone." I said nervously. Barely audible at that as I clancked over to Tony's lifeless frame.

"Come on, buddy. Wake up for me, eh?" I muttered to him after pulling the faceplate off with my gauntlet, meeting Tony's chalky white, bloodied and sweat slicked face.

Still at the back of my mind the slip of Justin Hammer caused an intense feeling of guilt.

_... ... ... ... ... ... _

_Steve POV. _

The team left the hellicarrier as soon as we all could. Now changed into more casual clothes apposed to each of our super hero attire that would have surely caught the attention of one or two civilians now as I was promptly walking through the hospital reception up to the desk with Natasha, Clint, Bruce, James Rhodes and Thor hastily keeping up with me.

"Excuse me, ma'am?"

"Yes, how may I help you?" The blonde receptionist peered through her thick, rhino horn rimmed glasses at me.

"Stark, Tony-Anthony Stark. He was brought in about an hour and a bit ago. Would we be able to see him?"

"If you'd like to take a seat over there, mister, I'll chase up how he's doing." She kindly smiled snapping her lengthy, glossy, red fingernails against the keyboard. I uttered a 'thanks' before motioning the small mass of people behind me to take a seat in the cheap green plastic chairs.

Twenty-five minuets later the receptionist padded over to us.

"You may see him now. Just to warn you, Mr. Stark is heavily unconscious and the doctors are keeping him sedated for now. We won't know his condition until he wakes up, he is sedated to give the brain and spinal cord a chance to recover and lessen any swelling. If you wouldn't mind being quiet, Mr. Stark's wife is at his bed side. A doctor will be with you shortly to escort you." My stomach dropped when the receptionist mentioned Pepper. What were we supposed to tell her? All I saw was Stark plummet to the ground like a rock.

"Any ideas on what we should say?" Bruce ran a hand over his tired face.

"To Pepper?" Clint said.

"Well, yeah!" Natasha spat at Clint a matter of factly.

"Stark's wife must know everything we do, it is an unfortunate tale of events to be sitting at his bedside like that, I too can relate from when my father fell into the Odin sleep and what a tragedy it was, however, it was distressing to be away from him."

"Thor's right, Pepper deserves to know everything. Hello, doctor." I arose when a male doctor approached us.

The team and I silently followed after the doctor while he fully filled us in on Tony's complete condition. Including the bit of information where the doctors can't ease him awake, so they decided to slowly lessen his medication and hope he wakes up on his own. _Hopes._

There on, we stared in shock through the thin pane of glass and the wooden roman blind at Tony's still body hanging on one last tether of life. His chest falling and rising sluggishly, a respiratory tube secured in his airway and his skin blotched an array of bruised colours and cuts.

And Pepper. She sat closely beside him, quietly crying her heart out at his bead side. One lifeless, clammy hand clutched in her's while she placed a gentle hand on her husband's cheek and rubbed circles with her thumb, silently willing, begging him awake.

All I could think is that we let the impracticality of a fallen soldier stop us from catching Justin Hammer. Thus he skulked off somewhere we don't know.

I couldn't grasp the Tony Stark was lying in front of us closely resembling a wax figurine for the second time in our acquaintance.

_... ... ... ... ... ... ..._

_Tony POV._

Becoming aware slowly again was bizarre. In all my injuries this was by far the worst and through the hazy drowsiness I could tell something wasn't quite right. Although, I couldn't tell you if I wanted to.

Bright light streamed through my closed eyelids making me see a variety of different blotchy colours and shapes. Which was a little irritating as my eyes refused to open.

Something to the side of me amusedly caught my wondering attention. Someone was talking quietly to me their voice filled with emotion sniffling every now and then, they clutched tightly to my hand that wasn't moving, the familiar warmth this person's contact gave off was nice and comforting, making me think of home.

_It-Was that a woman's voice? Pepper? I think it was my wife, my Pepper? Yes! It was! _

Opening my eyes and trying to squeeze her hand that was clutched tightly in both of hers while she rubbed circles with her thumb on the back of my hand also being pressed to her lips, those tried actions were an instant fail. I was too drowsy, numb and hopped up on pain relief to make my body respond any more. Wanting to smile at her lovingly and tell her I was okay was a useless action, instead I listened to what she said.

"-The doctor said I should keep on talking to you, Tony. You're the one usually keeping up the constant chatter, isn't it? Dr. Summers said it could help you return back to your body. You're not in a coma, you've been unconscious for almost seventy-two hours and we're not too sure why you haven't woken up yet. But the longer your not waking up the more I think you're not going to. Tony? Please wake up. You have to wake up. Try? For me? For your Pepper Potts? Squeeze my hand if you can hear my voice?"

_I'm trying, Pepper. I can't find the control panel to my hand your squeezing the death out of so far. I'll try to scope out how to work my hand again so I can let you know I'm okay._

"-No? Okay. Don't worry. We'll try again in a while. The doctor will be back soon. Evelyn and Rowan can't wait to have their dad back and can't wait to speak to you once your sitting up again. They were really upset-"

_No, don't say that. I'm trying to come back, Pepper. I hope they're okay. The both of them. I don't plan on leaving you yet._

"-When we got the call from Rhodey. They've even been up here a few times and tried to wake you up. We thought we'd try reading. So Rowan read you almost four entire chapters of To Kill A Mockingbird to you earlier. And Evelyn played you your working play list and told you about the car she wants when she officially passes her driving test.-"

_Honey, my daughter can have whatever car she wants! Diamante, pink; whatever. She can have it. I'm paying. Thanks, Rowan. Tell him I said thanks, Pepper. I've always loved that book._

"-We really need to you wake up, please. I love you, Tony Stark."

"Pepper? The car's ready. He's still not responding, is he?" Happy's saddened voice came from behind Pepper's as I desperately tried to fight my way back to controlling my body. But I couldn't. An invisible barrier wouldn't let me.

"God, all I really need is for him to whip round with some sarcastic comment. Tony's got to come back though, right? The company, the kids-our kids. I need him to wake up, Happy! And I'm beginning to think he won't. The longer he stays like-like _this_ convinces me he won't wake up! Just look at him, all battered and bruised. The gashes on his nose, by his eye, his cheek..." Pepper trailed off into tears. Happy came further into the room to comfort Pepper.

_Pepper! Don't cry, please. I'm fine. I think. Are you going?_

"The car's ready did you say? Okay. I'll be right out. Right, Tony. I'll be back in a few hours. Hopefully then you'll be sitting up and talking. I love you." With that and a final kiss to my forehead, Pepper clip clopped out the room.

_See you later, Pepper. I hope I will be more alive later as well. Bye, Happy!_

Every few hours I zoned in and out because of the medication they kept at a steady flow through my veins.

Frequently a nurse came into check my stats, reassure that my breathing tube was stable and doing the right thing.

From then on I became more and more aware. But something still wasn't quite right.

_... ... ... ... ... ... ..._

I slipped out of a forgotten sleep. The respiratory tube causing me an awful lot of discomfort in my dry throat and mouth. Oh God, some needs to get me a drink.

I had no idea what the time or date was, all I could register someone was talking to me. Or was it two? Yeah two, a male and a female's voice.

"-Yeah, well. We just have to hope don't we? He's 'gonna wake up. Dad, you can hear us can't you?" I think Rowan held my hand in his, holding it to his cheek.

_How ironic. Yeah, Rowan I can hear you. Now's the time to start confessing how great you think I am, right?_

"I know you can. I'm 'gonna slap you so hard when you wake up for being an arse."

"Shut up, Rowan. Slap dad and I'll slap you." Evelyn sighed heavily.

_Yep. Those are definitely my kids. Guys, where's your mom? _

Their chatter and more encouragement went on for a while longer. Until the uncomfortable feeling in my throat and mouth became unbearable. It was as if the respiratory tube was made out of wood and was forcing splinters into every inch of my dry mouth and throat. Suddenly and unexpectantly, I felt myself flood back into my body. The pain from the respiration tube masking every other discomfort I had. It caused me to splutter around it, lazily reaching a hand up to yank it right out of my throat with a load groan almost a gag, and let it fall on the bed.

The room now in total silence, all I could do was croakily groan. Beginning to open my eyes to a hospital room I now realised something was deadly wrong, even through the haziness as air stung it's way into my lungs, I knew in an instant what was fatally wrong with me.


	29. Chapter 29 : Full of Hope & Optimism

_**A/N : Hey :-) Update time! :-) Yayaa! Umm not too much to say except that the arc reactor does speed up Tony's recovery process and what not.I like this chapter and I hope y'all do too! **_

_**oooooh and Pepper's family have left unless you want some more of them, I forgot about them... Awks.**_

_**Anyway, gotta go, REVIEW PLEASE!**_

_Chapter 29 : Full Of Hope & Optimism._

_Tony POV._

The room surrounding my dazed state flooded in around me in an unsettling, disorientating whoosh of light.

The dry, stinging pain in my throat and mouth still very existing and so very real. My eyelids fluttered as I struggled to digest the feelings running through my semi-working body as well as trying, and failing, to remember how I had landed myself in this position.

"Rowan, Rowan! Get Mom and the doctor!" Evelyn bounced up, from what I could tell, onto the plastic tiled floor and grabbed my hand in between the both of her's, trying to get a response out of me. While Rowan clumsily sped out of the room.

"Dad? Dad? Hey, look at me? Hey, your alright!" Evelyn bent over me slightly.

My throat was too dry and too sore to talk so I just spluttered and groaned in shock, hurt and distress hoping I could slip into another sleep to wake up somewhere else then for this to turn out as a horrible dream.

Next thing I knew Evelyn and Rowan were herded out of the room by the doctor closely followed by Pepper who sported a blurry expression (blurry through my hazy eyes) close to concern, mixed with utter relief.

"Oh, Tony!" Pepper gasped. Closing the door tightly behind her. I needed to tell the doctor that I couldn't f-

"Welcome back, Tony. How are you feeling? A little drowsy I expect but now your awake we can fully assess your condition as we're really not too crystal clear on your health at this point." The doctor- Dr. Summer's I'm guessing, spoke very loudly and clearly as I was just about prepared to tell him what was wrong.

"I-I can't feel m-my legs." I rasped out painfully. Each word catching in my dry oesophagus, my eyes beginning to well up from shock and devastation.

Then, the mood dipped into a deep, dark abyss. Pepper stood shuddering, then crying. With my own tears splattered down my cheeks I held my hand out for Pepper who took it and pressed it to her face desperately. Dr. Summers wore an even more solemn expression, his hand jotting across his clipboard making notes.

"Right, okay...Tony, that isn't at all surprising. From the impact on your spinal cord my colleagues and I were expecting something like this, but like most sedated patients we simply hope the brain and spinal cord recover as normally as it can during the sedation process. Thankfully, now your awake we can begin to run tests and sort out treatment, physiotherapy and everything your going to need. Now I'm hoping this is a temporary paralysis where we can help you gain feeling in your legs again. But, until then I'm just going to be doing a simple reflex assessment. Mrs. Stark, if you would like to step out side and maybe notify your children on the current situation. They must be very concerned for their father at this moment."

"Uh-Yes. I'll be right back." Pepper tremored leaning down to lightly kiss me.

As soon as Pepper shut the door behind her once more he, Doctor Summer's, stepped up to assist me sitting up cranking the bed up at a more elevated position.

"Tony, do you remember what happened?"

"No." I replied shakily.

"That's okay, Tony. Relax. You had an accident which impacted badly on your spinal cord hence your no feeling." Dr. Summers looked me firmly in the eye making sure I understood every word.

"Will I-Will I walk again?" Was the single croaky sentence that left my lips before I could think to stop it. Saying it out loud made it all the more real. Imagining it could make it psychological. Saying it out loud by all means confirmed this predicament.

"I can't guarantee you anything. I try to prevent causing false hope around my wards, sir. What I can tell you is that I'm experienced with paralysis and I can help you as long as you help me."

"Right. 'Cause I need to walk to-to, um. I have kids, y'know?" I chocked up again.

"I understand, I too have children. I understand how busy life is when they're demanding all kinds of things. You mustn't lose hope and above all let your children see you have lost hope. Before we start talking about serious long term effects I need to register any feeling you may have to make the correct diagnosis." Doctor Summers pulled the covers back to greet me with a sight of bruising and battering across my visible flesh beneath the cheap hospital gown. _Oh god _. The nasty cuts and colourful bruises triggered a gag reflex, it was exactly like seeing a corpse. I was so pale, so motionless and not who I remembered myself to be.

Taking out a chrome hammer like instrument he forcefully tapped down each of my legs.

At some point between my knees and ankles a shooting pain dulled by the medication shot around my body. Shocking me so much so I drew in a sharp intake of breath.

"How did that feel?"

"Numb. A bit of pain. I mean it's kind of a hollow feeling but something was there definitely. I felt it." I gasped. Quite relieved.

"That's a very promising sign! Very early too. What I'm suggesting is that your spinal cord is damaged enough for the internal tissue to swell ,now, this presses against the vertebrae and in most cases results in paralysis. In your case, I'm pondering temporary paralysis in which you've lost a certain amount of control in the muscles and reduces the feeling in your legs."

"Temporary? That means I could walk again?" I breathed out.

"Let's just take this one step at a time, shall we? I'll go and organise some tests and scans while you reunite with your family." The Doctor drew the covers back over me.

"But it's-it's a possibility?"

"Like I said I try not to create false hope. Although, I would say you seem to have more than a fifty per cent chance of walking again with the right amount of physiotherapy and medication." Doctor Summer's left the room to go and ready some scans and extra tests.

My mind kept focusing on that prickle of pain I felt just moments ago in one of my legs. I wanted so badly to move, twitch, anything that would break the bonds that kept me from moving. In between straining to move any part of my body below my hips, Pepper walked in. She caught me during my efforts and almost instantly burst into tears again.

"Just come here." I reached out for Pepper desperately feeling awfully like a child in this hellish situation. Closing the distance between us Pepper all but collapsed onto my shoulder. Her strawberry blonde hair brushing against my unkempt facial hair under my nose, persuading me to breathe in the sweet vanilla scent I craved so much. She fell apart. Sobbing with tears cascading down her cheeks into the crook of my neck.

Attempting to sooth her with long strokes repetitively up and down her sides, Pepper reluctantly pulled away to rest her forehead against mine. Pepper moved her shaky hands up to cradle the sides of my face.

"Tony Stark, you complete and utter maniac- I love you," Pepper's sentence ended tenderly. Joining her lips with mine we both let out one heavy sigh of relief, love for each other and exhaustion into the kiss. "Don't for one second think your alone. I love you, I love you, I love you."

"God, Pepper. I love you too. So much." I replied, my heart all of a flutter.

Hours after more scans and tests all that was left to do was wait, apprehensively. Rhodey turned up when I had been taken down for a brain scan just to be on the safe side. Rhodey kindly offered to take the kids home back to the mansion to be babysat by Pepper's side of the family.

Since then, Pepper squidged onto the hospital bed with me after a bit of canoeing. She kept both of her arms looped around my shoulders. Tilting her head upwards slightly to kiss my cheek, jaw, lips, hair or whatever she could reach from our cramped but comforting position. Pepper moved her hand from my shoulder to rake through my hair.

"I'm going to get you up walking around and flying like a maniac in those damn suits again even if it kills me." Pepper whispered into my cheek she was nuzzling with her nose.

She rubbed my arm affectionately when I replied by hugging her tighter than ever.

"Mr. Stark, your test results are back." Dr. Summers poked his head around the door. Pepper hopped off the bed, drew up a chair, clutched my hand and waved him in.

"It's good news. Great news infact! I, as a doctor am astounded. I've never seen this in all my years of practicing medicine and it's all because of that-what did you call it? An electromagnet? It's simply astonishing."

"Wha-Why? It powers my heart." I looked back at him blankly unsure of what he was saying.

"Yes, it does. Magnificently so. However, the energy it emits throughout your body is seemingly speeding up the recovery process of your temporary paralysis."

"So. That means-does that mean that...?" I trailed off, glancing over to Pepper's expression full of hope and optimism.

"That you will walk again? By the looks of it more than walking. I wouldn't like to pile too much pressure of expectation on you but your recovery is occurring faster and sooner than we thought. I'll keep tabs on the next few days or maybe weeks and then we'll begin to discuss physio. Congratulations."

"See, I told you!" Pepper hopped back up onto my hospital bed, snuggling herself back into my side. Her hand stroking up and down my chest while her other one intertwined with my own hand. I wedged my head in a space between her neck and shoulder.

"I'm going to go get us a cup of coffee each, okay? And maybe ring my mom. I'll be back before you'll even notice I'm gone." Pepper swung her legs off the bed and wedged her feet back into her heels. Only leaning back to kiss me.

"Don't worry. I won't be going anywhere." I said dryly. Before leaving, Pepper threw an eye roll over her shoulder.

_... ... ... ... ... ... _

_Pepper POV. _

Walking out of Tony's private hospital room to go and grab us a much needed coffee to help soothe this situation.

Fiddling with my phone to message my mom, Rhodey's unexpected voice stopped me in my tracks as I passed the waiting room.

"Pepper?"

"Rhodey! What are you doing out here?" Hugging him comfortingly when he jumped out of his seat.

"I've just taken Rowan and Evelyn home, they were both pretty shaken up. Rowan more than anyone, they asked me to come back and see what news I could find out." Rhodey almost stumbled over his words with haste as his eyes flickered from me to the direction I had just come from.

"Temporary paralysis."

Rhodey's expression was indescribable. It went from a slight sceptical play across his features thinking I was joking, to shock and then horror.

"What the hell are we going to do?" Rhodey was probably talking to himself but I listened in anyway as he lowered himself unsteadily onto a blue plastic waiting room chair.

"They say he'll walk again. But I don't quite know yet, Rhodey. I sure as hell need my husband and my kids need their dad back."

_... ... ... ... ... ..._

_Tony POV._

As promised almost a month later a consistent numb feeling returned to my bottom half. However, my ability to walk like a fully functioning adult had vanished from the point I collided with the nuke and then the wall from what Rhodey told me.

The next week was filled with frustration, medication and angry tears on my part. This was so hard to cope with. Beginning to explain what this was like is an impossible task.

The thing I most desired to do was throw in the towel and give up even though my miniscule sense of feeling hadn't disappeared.

Pepper was brilliant throughout totally ignoring my tantrums when something didn't quite go my way or not as much progress had been made as we hoped.

My tantrums were exactly that of a two year old when the kids weren't there. I'd lash out with harsh words I didn't mean even for a minuet. Through that Pepper was persistent alongside me obviously determined as she always was to attempt to keep the peace and me slightly relaxed. Despite all the times I silently cried out of anger, shouted, swore and went on the rampage, Pepper still said she loved me over and over until I would shut up and sulkily reply with a stubborn 'I love you too.'.

"There's just really no point! Can't we wait for the results and do this again later?!" I growled after a really unsuccessful amount of new sensations in my bottom half.

"Just do as your physio therapist says." Pepper leaned over me.

Unceremoniously and most if not all of my pride taken away from me as I lay on the floor on this stupid matt thing that was supposed to support my back with my physio therapist near the bottom really testing my patience, trying to make me co-operate on all of these exhausting exercises she was making me do, by building up the muscles in my legs again. Sat either side of me and sometimes in between my legs. One time I was tired and looking down to see her positioned in between my legs saying all these things that could have been interpreted the wrong way just made me burst out laughing, this always made Pepper join in as well.

But today, I was really grumpy and not in the mood for a hundred and one questions about feeling a feeling I couldn't quite yet feel properly. **(****ß****Tongue twister!)**

"Physio terrorist more like." I muttered bitterly looking straight above seeing Pepper leaning over me with a knowing look. She sat behind me (always sure to support my shoulders when I laid down) with her knees almost touching my shoulders. Pepper dressed in casual wear today with her hair down so it swung around me like a curtain, casting a lovely scent.

"Behave!" Pepper hissed at me, her hissing didn't prevent a small smile pulling at her lips.

"Yeah. Well, uh-nothing's working so how abouts we give up?" I snapped back cockily.

"Come on, Tony! Don't lose hope! We all know giving up isn't an option! Ever hear of that saying; the destination isn't half as good as the journey!" My physio willed me on. Which left me wanting to kick her for that patronizing comment. Shame I couldn't.

"Jeez, that was patronizing. I think we're in two different time zones here-'cause although-"

"Can we carry on please, Stacey?" Pepper interrupted me before I could really pull out the big guns. Grumbling to myself mostly, I crossed my arms tightly over my arc reactor as Pepper spoke cheerfully to my physio therapist, Stacey, trying to mask my unpleasant mood.

"No, I 'wanna stop for now." I demanded looking at nothing in particular.

"Tony, I think we should carry on. I believe we're going to make some real progress soon!" Stacey clapped her hands together enthusiastically beginning to carry on with these dumb-ass exercises.

"I thought you two were supposed to listen to what I wanted?! I said, no!" I snapped again, louder this time.

"Stacey, will you give us a minuet please? Thanks." Pepper winked at her.

Pepper waited until Stacey respectfully left the private physio room leaving Pepper and I with it all to our selves. She stood up from behind me seemingly spending a lot of time dusting off her clothes, meanwhile I tried to push myself up into a sitting position dodgily. It took a lot of strength, stamina and some more pride ripped away with all the heaving it stole from me. Eventually, when I was nearly there, Pepper's stretched out hands appeared in my vision.


	30. Chapter 30:A Member Of The Male Species

_A/N ; Not a lot to say except sorry for the late update. _

_REVIEW!_

_Chapter 30 : A Member Of The Male Species._

_Tony POV. _

Pepper waited until Stacey respectfully left the private physio room leaving Pepper and I with it all to our selves. She stood up from behind me seemingly spending a lot of time dusting off her clothes, or rather giving me second to let my cloudy attitude blow over , meanwhile I tried to push myself up into a sitting position dodgily. It took a lot of strength, stamina and some more pride ripped away with all the heaving it stole from me. Eventually, when I was nearly there, Pepper's stretched out hands appeared in my vision. I batted them out of the way. Determined to do this myself.

"What's up? Huh?" Pepper asked tenderly. She didn't take no for an answer and pulled me upright more stably by placing her hands at the backs of my upper arms. Pepper folded her legs underneath her, dusting her hair from her face and settling herself in between my legs. Deciding not to answer was an action furrowed within my stubborn self. I let out an exhausted, stubborn growl mixed with a sigh. Letting it rip from my chest, I all but head-butted Pepper in the shoulder and rested my head there, inhaling her Pepper Potts scent. "I wish this wasn't happening.""Me too." Pepper spoke brittily. As if she was about to cry. With her hands gliding upwards either side of my neck, she pulled me backwards, greeting me amidst a small encouraging smile through my hooded eyes, heavy frown lines and moody pout. "C'mere. 'Gimme a kiss, Stark," Pepper smirked, pulling me to her for a gentle kiss we both needed, "I love you." "And vice versa," I replied tiredly, "When are you going to cave for that trip to Cipriani?" Mumbling sulkily I settled myself back into the crook of her neck."Maybe I should this time."

_... ... ... ... ... ... ..._

_Pepper POV. _

Stark Industries had given me one hell of a day.

_Mrs. Stark this, Mrs. Stark that. _

_Mrs. Stark you need to check the stocks and shares. _

_Mrs. Stark, this document needs to be signed by yourself and Mr. Stark by 9AM tomorrow. _

_Mrs. Stark the president of the leading energy company in Hong Kong - EcoClean is ready and waiting with a translator on line 9 video chat. _

_Mrs. Stark you must hurry along to the board meeting in five minuets-scratch that three, I'm afraid the men in attendance aren't very happy about Mr. Stark's absence._

All freaking day.

Tony's office was emptier than a ghost town. Not to mention the probable layer of curtain like dust settling across his desk and possessions.

Tony was still in hospital, only for a little while longer. I knew this was all so hard on him. The whole ideal was very hard on us all as well. As promised, my mom, dad, Caroline and Jake stayed up in Malibu for moral support and general help for me, the kids and their routines. Gladly, Evelyn was getting better in herself. I think getting into a new school routine really helped her. MIT were brilliant. They kept the incident from the pupils and offered her lots of support with both her school work and someone to talk to whenever she wanted them. This new school encouraged her to be herself, her old self, chatty, vivacious and full of life. It made her forget for a while, giving her a little bit of normality. Evelyn was happy despite the boys being a little sexist towards her; which kind of shot her down in a way, they were very surprised Evelyn could do the certain amount and level of things she could.

Of course every now and then Evelyn had shaky moments when the nightmares appeared less frequently than they used to, she seemed to have developed a more clingy relationship towards the men in her life. Tony - Evelyn spent a lot of time with him at the hospital including smuggling JARVIS in on his Stark phone in for him to tinker on. She frequently took in homework as well, trying to keep his spirits high with little father-daughter lessons. Usually they ended in amusing Pepper-Tony bickering between my husband and my daughter about who was right with Tony often winning by pulling out the 'I've been alive longer and am a genius.".

I was very much looking forward to having that first physio session with Tony on the parallel bars which would hopefully accommodate his first proper steps. Almost another month since Tony's outburst in the physio room and more feeling returned. His arc reactor was doing more than we expected; imagined even. In normal cases patients wouldn't be near to recovering, however in Tony's case, everything was going in his favour because of the technology implanted in his chest and the energy flowing through and repairing his body. With a more realistic feeling returning to his bottom half Tony was now able to hobble around with crutches. I'll never forget the look on his face when he finally achieve that milestone and the comment he made about getting me in bed when he could walk properly.

_"Really, Tony? Really?" I had replied sarcastically. I couldn't help the smile that played at my lips, purely pleased to have him upright (even if it was just on crutches) and at eye level with me."I'm a member of the male species , Pepper. Don't fight it, 'cause I'm not." He made his way slowly out of the room with a snort._

"-Pepper? Hey, Pepper?!" Natasha drew me back into present time with a click just millimetres away from the tip of my nose from her long slender fingers."Oh! I'm sorry, Natasha. Did you need something?" I asked, my heart a little jittery in response to her click that made me jump a little. "It's time to go, Happy has the car outside all set and ready to go." Natasha replied as if I had issues remembering a routine or what time it was. Saying that I glanced over to the clock to see it was indeed time to go home. "Yes, absolutely. I'll be right down." "I'll wait in the car." Natasha swung her handbag onto her shoulder leaving behind the sounds of her heels in my office.

Juggling multiple things in my hands ready to pour into my nude patent Ted Baker handbag with my phone wedged somewhere between my ear and my shoulder I quickly clip clopped my way outside to the car answering more questions to do with Tony and demands as to when he would be able to come back to work.

I jumped into the car to find Natasha tinkering on her phone after Happy shut the car door swiftly behind me."Hospital or home, Pepper?" Happy asked through the rear view mirror. "Home please, Happy. That would be great." "Not visiting Tony today? How is he?" Natasha looked over to me, matching my hopeless expression. "Huh. Well y'know. Trying to preserve his male pride even though he's recovering amazingly well. Tony can come home soon. I don't know Natasha, he gets irritable quickly these days and every time I ask if he remembers what happened he snaps at me. I need a rest as well sometimes." Exasperated letting my head fall into my palm I sighed loudly."It'll take time. Only you really know what Tony's like underneath those egotistical layers." She softly answered me. Some part of me reckoned Natasha knew what happened to Tony to cause this crisis, another part of me on the other hand, refrained from pushing her further. Feeling some tears resurface I chose to change the subject. "How is Uriah? I haven't seen him in a while actually, is school still going well? I know Rowan see's him a lot at school with baseball and everything.""I'm worried about him lately. Even Clint noticed! Uriah's really quiet, which is weird. He wants to see Evelyn but he's tied between scaring her and this weird attitude. When school ends Uriah will come straight home to his room and do homework except for baseball practice with Rowan. Even now, he won't talk about anything to either me or Clint like he used to." Natasha rubbed her temples in a circular motion- I'd never seen her do that before in such a maternal way."They all go like that from time to time though, don't they? He's a teenager. Evelyn needs him as well, y'know." I smirked."He really misses her. I think he must blame himself for what happened no matter how much he denies it.""Nat, Nat, Nat! Haven't you seen them together?! The both of them need to find their way back to each other in their own special little awkward teenager way!" I laughed a little, shaking my head and wondering whether Natasha knew herself. Natasha's head whipped up in an instant a extremely amused glint in her eyes matching the devious grin from ear to ear."When you put it like that! I wasn't going to mention anything, I didn't know that you knew!?" Natasha couldn't help but let the laughs that seemed to stem, flow. A small second after; I joined in."Of course I knew! They like each other that much that they don't even realise the other's feelings.""Oh this is so ironic!" Natasha snickered along with mine and Happy's simultaneous chuckles.

_... ... ... ... ... ... ..._

"JARVIS, is everyone home?" I walked through the darkened house with Natasha. After chatting for so long in the Bentley and Natasha discovering Clint nor Uriah were home, I invited her back to the mansion. "Miss and Mr. Stark are currently in the kitchen, Ms. As for the remaining family members they left the premises an hour and ten minuets ago to go grocery shopping except Mr. Jacob Potts who is resting in his room." JARVIS replied back in his usual monotone voice.

Clopping into the kitchen with Natasha and I discarding our bags onto the sideboard on the way, we found Rowan and Evelyn in the was muttering to Rowan anxiously and bent over his hand. Rowan noticed us, tried to discreetly nudge his big sister away and shoved his hand under the counter he was sat at. "What's going on here?" "I-uh-Nothing. Evelyn, get off!" He scoffed, nudging her away."Aunty Nat!" Evelyn smiled springing over to wind her arms around Natasha's waist. Natasha laughed hugging her back."You're happy today, How's school going?" "Oh, it's great! Really helping to take my mind off stuff and stuff." Evelyn said quietly, twirling her ponytail around her fingers. My guess is that the kids just got home. Their bags were slung on the side, Rowan obviously emptied the contents of his own bag from the sight of books sloshed all over the counter, he's messy to say the least. Evelyn hadn't managed to change her top half, just her bottom half I noticed kissing the top of her head now that Evelyn had gone to grab some biscuits out of the tin to nibble on, she walked around in her grey sweats and what I liked to think as her Tony streak. In her slim fitting dark blue short sleeved t-shirt with a white long sleeved t-shirt underneath.

Walking around where Rowan was sitting, to make drinks, I yanked his arm out from under the table taking him by surprise. Taking off the frozen bag of peas held onto his knuckles revealed a slightly bloody swollen mess."What did you do?!""It's nothing! I-" "Some guy at school was being a smart-ass about dad and, I obviously wasn't there, Rowan stupidly retaliated and Uriah pulled him off." Evelyn cut in with a roll of the eyes and a devious smile, completely dobbing in her brother."Why? Rowan, really? I didn't think you would be the sort of person who would rise to something as low as that?" Rowan caught my disappointed expression in response to what he had done as I spoke. A few seconds later, his own expression turned outraged. Turning his gaze to each face in the room Rowan shot up seeing that we were all thinking the same thing. A fuming scowl that was too Tony like took over his features, Rowan shot up, knocking his stool on a spinning rim. He stormed out mumbling incoherently."Don't be too harsh on him, he misses dad a lot. More than he lets on." Evelyn placed her hands on top of the stool to stop the gentle swoosh of the stool spinning."I know, honey. I just don't want Rowan to turn around and thump someone every time some stupid kid goes and smart mouths."

_... ... ... ... ... ... ..._

_Evelyn POV. _

"Honey! Can you get the door, please?!" Mom called out from the living room. I suddenly found myself at a bit of a cross fire. Who the hell was at the door?! She knew I didn't like answering the door since what happened I thought swallowing stiffly as I cautiously made my way towards the door. My hands sopping wet with bubbles from just washing up and my ponytail swinging behind me.

Through the glass front door stood no other than Uriah. Oh holy cow. Stood with his head bowed and his phone almost pressed to his nose-that straight perfect nose. _Oh shut up!_

True, months had passed since the incident but things were helping me along slowly. Dad was in hospital with temporary paralysis that had stumped me down yet not as much as it had killed dad. However much he pretended he was okay, we all saw him crumbling behind a portrayed expression. What had surprised me was seeing Uriah stood on my doorstep triggering all of these emotions I felt for him before what happened. Next thing I was aware of myself doing was my hand grasping the door handle and pulling it away from in between us. This caught his attention, not enough for his attention to be stolen away from his phone though."Hey Aunty Pep-" Uriah paused after he lifted up his head for us to stare at each other with amazement."Hi." I breathed out, an uncommanded smile beginning to tug at my lips. "Hey!" He quickly replied in an eager breathy voice himself.


	31. Chapter 31 : Home Sweet Home

**_A/N: Hey, hey, hey :-) This'll probably be the first of two updates this week, as next week I'll probably just fade away from existence... WORK PEOPLE. I have work experience all week, yeah, kill me? And plus I have two essays to do because my f***ing k**b head English teacher obviously hates me. Dick._**

**_Anyway! Before I start breaking things... I've been editing this and semi-falling asleep gaaah, I watched Mean Girls and listened to the Les Miserables soundtrack, don't hate, I know ALL the words to EVERYTHING!_**

**_Cheers for the reviews guys! Keep on going! I kinda like this chapter it's fun and a bit of Evelyn and Uriah action ;-) ***BIG HORMONAL TEENAGER WINKS*** there WILL BE MORE AND MORE OF THAT SOON, they need to become an item me thinks. _**

**_BUT PLEASE REVIEW! PLEASE! I DREAMED A DREAM YOU WOULD REVIEW THIS!_**

**_Chapter 31 : Home Sweet Home._**

**_Evelyn POV. _**

"I didn't uh-think you would be here." Uriah said a little awkwardly scratching the back of his neck."Well I do live here, y'know." I replied quirkily, rocking back and forth on the balls of my feet a little."I know, I know. I just wasn't expecting-Uh, never mind. How-how are you? You look great." Uriah muddled himself up with his words. Still the last part caught my attention and made every inch of my skin plunge into a deep rouge blush."I'm fine, thanks... I'm only wearing these old things...Are you alright?" I stepped aside and motioned for Uriah to come in. He, for some reason, couldn't keep the huge smile that graced his face as he stepped over the threshold."Yeah, I'm good, thanks."

We sat in the kitchen for ages by our selves. Uriah even seemed shocked that I let him touch me. Aunty Natasha and Mom had a huge old chin wag for the whole duration that Uriah and I were talking about everything and nothing. When Aunty Nat called for Uriah and her to head on home, both Uriah and I stood from our stools. When he picked up his school bag and looked like he was about to go and find his mom, I spoke up with a laugh."Hey! I'm not going to hug you in front of the nosey lot out there!""Oh! Sorry! I didn't know whether you'd want to." Uriah set down his bag again and gently pulled me into his arms."'Course I do. It's you." I sighed deeply inhaling Uriah's tempting scent of his body spray thing or whatever he used to make himself smell so good as I buried my nose into his neck, leaning all of my weight onto him by standing on my tip-toes and squeezing him tightly. Barely above our in time heartbeats and appreciative breath I heard him whisper before placing a kiss on my hair. "I've missed you."

**_... ... ... ... ... ..._**

**_{A few weeks later?}_**

**_Pepper POV._**

Here we are again. In front of the hospital entrance. Hesitating. How would Tony be today? Would he look as lank and tired as he did the other day when I visited him? As stubborn? Especially since today was Tony's first parallel bar physiotherapy session.

Honestly, I think I was the more nervous party here. More than anything I wanted for him to take to it quickly and wear that smirk he always seemed to wear when he'd done something brilliant.

Having already walked through all of the hospitals many departments towards Tony's private hospital room I was in the private department. As soon as I opened the door Tony's expression turned from extremely bored to ecstatic when my own smiling face stole the spotlight from the newspaper he was reading.

"Your here!" He tossed down the paper and reached out for me like a needy child. Dressed in an unzipped zip-up dark red hoodie, black t-shirt and grey sweats, Tony took hold of his crutch (he only used the one after refusing to use a wheelchair or a walking stick ; "I'm Iron Man. Not an invalid." Tony had protested.) and pushed himself quite quickly onto his feet.

"Of course I'm here!" I chuckled, swapping my work heels for casual flats. I had indeed just come from work so that meant work clothes consisting of ; a pencil skirt and a light sage green blouse tucked in loosely. I met Tony half way eager for his touch as well as him not to get tired too quickly. We had a challenging few hours ahead of us.

"How was work?" Tony asked, tenderly nudging his nose against mine once we were wrapped up in each others arms.

"The usual. Long and boring. How are you today, honey?" I murmured squidging myself closer into his frame as my crafty hands sneakily crept under his t-shirt and rested on his well defined hips, gently caressing the soft skin there with the caring circular motions of my thumbs.

"I'm good," Tony grazed his lips that were formed into a wide spread grin against mine, "I can't wait to come home."

"I'm surprised you don't want to throw a big party and stumble around drunk in your Iron Man suit, use it as a bathroom which might I add, will gross me out forever, and then blow up our entire supply of fruit." I cheekily stated before pulling him in for a kiss, now that my hands wound themselves into the hair at the nape of his neck before he could reply with some bravado, he still laughed into my mouth away from our deep, passionate kiss, Tony pressed several kisses back to my lips and cheeks ahead of talking.

"Actually, I was thinking... Kick the kids out for the night, maybe Rhodey can take them out for a movie? Then I can have you all to myself and a bottle of wine in our room all night long.." Tony waggled his eyebrows and drew out 'all night long' in a very seductive yet playful voice. Yes, Tony Stark could do playful and seductive at the same time. Trust me, I knew when I was about to answer back, the nurse walked in ready to take us down to the physiotherapy room.

"Oh, Mrs Stark! Just in time, it's Tony's parallel bar physiotherapy session!"

"Oh yay!" Tony grinned and bunched up his shoulders sarcastically.

"Yes, we were just saying how much we were looking forward to it!" I said happily, trying to mask Tony's sarcasm and lightly hit him in the stomach.

"Well! No time to waste let's get going then!" The nurse ushered us out of he room. As soon as the three of us were outside in the hallway, something Tony had thrown a tantrum about was being held in place by the nurse's hold.

"You've got to be kidding me." Tony sighed heavily, rolling his head to look at me with a pissed off look. Internally, I cringed at the last episode in reaction to the wheelchair.

"It's the quickest way and you need to save your energy too." The nurse raised her eyebrows at Tony. With a series of incoherent grumbles caused by persuasive look from me, Tony held a crutch out to me which I took. It took a good few minuets for Tony to get himself settled in the wheelchair as I wordlessly took the other crutch with an encouraging smile. All the way down to the physiotherapy department I placed my hand on one of Tony's broad shoulders, lifting his glum expression plastered all over his face every time I squeezed the bunch of strong, toned muscles there.

"Tony! Good to see you today! How are you feeling?" Stacey greeted Tony cheerfully, directing one of her usual over enthusiastic smiles at me. I politely directed a smile back with a 'hello'.

"-Not terminally ill," Tony muttered under his breath, then carried on in a louder sarcastic voice, "Raring to go."

"Yes. We're feeling very positive today, aren't we, Tony?" I walked over to join him from where the nurse helped him onto a plastic chair at one of the ends of the parallel bars. Tony did a mind numbing egotistical roll of the eyes. First off, Stacey placed herself in between the parallel bars facing Tony. After asking which leg was the strongest and blocked that one off once Tony answered. Tony was told to stand, it took a fair amount of his concentration and strength. I had expected nothing less than smiles as well as tears to be almost immediately radiated around the room by me.

"Oh, Pepper." Tony semi-groaned letting out a small laugh before capturing his tongue between his teeth as he began to comply with Stacey's, his physiotherapist, instructions.

"I'm sorry!" I choked out, suddenly quite embarrassed about the fact I was suddenly crying without controll.

"I've had more extreme reactions from wives and husbands." Stacey giggled, commanding Tony to try and attempt some lunges. At this, he stumbled. "Okay. Bad idea." He caught himself with the use of the bars either side. "That's fine, for now I think we should just enjoy watching you walk again," Stacey helped him back up, "Could you just continue to cruise up and down for me, please?"

For the next hour I sat faithfully by watching my Tony; my husband; Iron Man regain his ability to walk again, as I watched him once in sickness, nearly in health it took me back to our wedding day and made me remember what I promised him at the altar.

_"I , Virginia Potts, take you Anthony Edward Stark to be my lawfully wedded husband, secure in the knowledge that you will be my constant friend, my faithful partner in life and my one true love. On this special day I give to you in the presence of all those in attendance my sacred promise to stay by your side as your faithful wife in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, as well as through the good times and the bad.I further promise to love you with out reservation, comfort you in times of distress, encourage you to achieve higher goals, laugh with you and cry with you. Grow with you in mind and in spirit. Always be open and honest with you, and cherish you as long as we both shall live."_

"What are you smiling at, Potts?" Came Tony's voice through my wedding day bliss flashback. His voice radiated with the old glints of cheekiness that I hadn't heard for so long. Hearing him like that made me smile so much more."Nothing. Nothing. Just you."

**_... ... ... ... ... ... ..._**

**_Tony POV._**

**_{5 weeks later.}_**

Five whole painstaking weeks of exhausting physiotherapy later meant I was finally able enough to go home. And boy, was I looking forward to being in my own space. How I could call it my own space I didn't know, maybe sixteen years ago it was my own space and now I had two teenagers running a rampage around my mansion. Somehow, those exact rampages made that very same mansion feel like home. But at least I would be able to go back to my workshop and suits. Although I was kind of dreading to see the extent of damage inflicted on the suit I wore when I did god knows what in it that day.

So, after those five weeks of physiotherapy, here I was standing on my door step watching Pepper and Happy walk towards me with my clothes and general stuff from the hospital and some groceries Pepper had gotten for dinner tonight. Leaning on one of my two crutches I punched in my personal code for the front door ahead of myself with Pepper's hands magnetizing towards the small of my back, making sure I got through the doorway okay.

"Hello, sir. I hope you had a safe journey. Reading your vitals I can already confirm your are healthy and your stats are normal. It's truly a pleasure to have you back." JARVIS's voice rang secondly from the ceiling."It's good to be back, JARVIS...And to not have any of your lippy comments…"

"I would deem that most inappropriate and not in my vocabulary or general manners, sir"

"Pffft, tell me that in an hour when you decide to go all comedian-y me."

I took a few minuets to walk, well, hobble, around the kitchen island into the living room. Sighing as I set my sights on the pacific oceanic view out of the panoramic windows and around the living room in general, that sight, however, made me smile. I'd never been a tidy person in my own home frequently leaving odd bits and pieces of tools and car or Iron Man parts dotted around behind me, but usually I had Pepper wordlessly putting them back in the right places as well as keeping the house tidy. The sight that made me smile was the sight of a well lived in, loved, a family home-achem-mansion with odd belongings scattered around like Evelyn's burgundy MIT hoodie slung across the back of the couch, Rowan's sticker clad guitar taking up a sizeable amount of room on one of the armchairs, Evelyn's laptop open (but shut off) on the glass coffee table and Rowan's books and shoes scattered on the floor at the foot of the couch.

"Oh seriously? I told them both however many times to tidy up before they left for school this morning!" Pepper huffed out, rushing past me to fold up Evelyn's hoodie, close her laptop and store it on the little compartment come shelf under the coffee table, gather up Rowan's books to straighten out into a neat pile, picked them up to put alongside Evelyn's laptop and gather Rowan's shoes up with the laces folded into tight little bundles inside them.

"I like it. A little rough around the edges and all that."

"Well I don't like it, not when I've been haranguing them about it all morning." Pepper hastily replied, piling up things in her arms to take upstairs.

"Pepper! Relax, please! It's fine, honestly!"

"Let me just-"

"No, put that all down!" I ordered with a laugh, just eager to have Pepper to myself instead of busying herself unnecessarily.

"I really should," She started again only to pause because of a look from me, "Okay... Can I get you anything?"

"Well... You can lie across our bed in nothing but those six inch heels of yours, you know how much that turns me on, baby." I bound closer using the inconvenient crutches to duck down and place a lingering kiss to her neck. Pepper pulled me back up.

"As much as I would love to right now, you need to rest." Pepper patted my chest.

"I've gone so long without _you_, please..." I whined sadly earning a chuckle from Pepper.

"That's because we've been trying to get you to this stage."

"Now I'm at this stage! So, come on!"

"The kids will be home soon and they hardly want the first bit of normalcy in months is to hear us-_fondueing_!" Pepper crossed her arms searching for the right word.

"Fondueing? Steve says fondueing..."

"That doesn't matter. You'll have to wait. Plus, I don't want you to strain yourself," Pepper dismissed me with a wave of her hand leaving my jaw dropping in disbelief.

"Strain myself? Pepper, do you know me? Your my wife right? Remember our wedding night? Fondueing?!" I scoffed at her, transporting us back to that night on the Bora Bora island in our steamy island hut on stilts above the sea, and making Pepper blush a deep crimson.

"I'll help you upstairs so you can rest in bed." Pepper ignored me.

"All I've done is rest in bed." I groaned.

"Well," Pepper guided me over to the couch, "Rest here."

"But-"

"No 'but's', Tony-"

"Only yours-"

"Your very frisky today! Rest here, may I get you anything? A coffee? A newspaper maybe?" Pepper stood above me with her hands on her hips.

"I could go for some coffee, thanks...If your not on the menu." I sighed out in defeat.

"Sure thing." Pepper smiled, sitting herself across my lap for a second to kiss me hard.

"Ugh, you can't do that after you complained about me being too 'frisky'!" I whined again when Pepper flitted across the room in the direction of the kitchen wearing a smug smirk.


	32. Chapter 32 : Saying Hello

**_A/N ; Hello! Dang it, late update! Cut me some slack, it was my work experience all this week, so I'm staying up later for you guys!_**

**_Few things I want you to notice in this chapter :_**

**_Un : Rowan & alcohol/booze. (Just the fact I've mentioned it)_**

**_Deux : The bit where Bruce goes to say Tony had a panic attack but it doesn't come out because Tony interrupts , so if I do another story, Tony can be surprised when JARVIS tells him after his first one. _**

**_Troi :Tony doesn't notice the stuff going on between Evelyn and Uriah, he doesn't put it down to anything._**

**_Night everyone, it'd be real sweet to wake up to some reviews. I wanna reach 100! If we get there I'll be a happy gal. _**

**_I might do this often : REASON WHY YOU SHOULD STAY TUNED AND KEEP READING NO MATTER WHAT : Some thing y'all been waiting for has JUST been written. Take a guess!_**

**_PLEASE REVIEW! ! PLEASE!_**

**_X_**

_C__hapter 32 : Saying Hello._

_Tony POV._

The next hour consisted of being completely bored. Pepper had to excuse herself to go to the office upstairs to reply to some e-mails and sign some documents, I ventured upstairs after that hour of boredom to go and see what she was doing. That's when I found out how much going upstairs and crutches aren't a match in heaven. They squeaked each time I walked forward and put my weight on them. How degrading, I knew that would grate on me soon.

Pepper hadn't noticed that I had swung in, leaning on the doorframe so I just had a little minuet to appreciate her finesse, if you will.

Today, Pepper looked flawlessly beautiful. A beige/tan to a natural skin colour pencil skirt clung to her curvaceous hips all the way down to her knees to tease the beholder, also a thin brown belt around the skirt, underneath the skirt Pepper clad her legs with hold up tights. I knew for a fact Pepper wore hold up tights as on a usual morning I had the pleasure of pretending I was asleep around seven when Pepper was bustling quietly around me getting ready to go to the office and peek through my heavy eyelids, smiling deviously, to watch Pepper roll her skin coloured hold up's up her luxuriously soft, nine mile long, toned legs. Neatly tucked in to that she wore a slightly blush red blouse fitting her perfectly. On the end of her crossed legs and bobbing feet, matching a melody she was quietly humming, Pepper sported a pair of patent nude platform peep-toe Louboutin's, the red soles making her look expensive, classy and well, Pepper Potts-ish as always.

"What can I do for you, Mr Stark?" Pepper asked attentively. "Well if your not going to have sex with me, because these crutches are obviously that repulsive, can I at least nab a kiss?""I'm not saying no! God, your the most impossible person on the planet!," Pepper stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at me, "Look at you, frowning like a moody two year old!""I'm not a moody two year old! I'm-" I started coughing loudly to mask my actual age. Pepper laughed loudly, clopping over to me, lacing her hands together behind my neck and pulling her body to mine."I've actually forgotten my age." I said in a breathy laugh. Sarcastically shrugging my shoulders."You're-" Pepper started when I leaned forward planting a loud, messy, playful kiss on her open lips. She couldn't deny she didn't love it when I did that."Keep it zipped, Potts.""Did you need something or-" "Daddy!" Was excitedly called from somewhere over my shoulder, Pepper grinned and returned back to her work place behind the desk, I, however was suddenly ladened with a sixteen year old that had pounced on me. Oh, my sixteen year old. "See, Pepper? Here's the nice 'welcome home' greeting I like to receive. Hi, baby." I had to quickly back myself up against the back of the couch to stop myself from loosing my balance and letting myself hug Evelyn back tightly. "'M glad your home." Evelyn murmured into the crook of my neck tearfully. "Oh, honey!" Pepper lightly laughed when she saw the tears tumbling down Evelyn's cheeks once I pulled her back to look at me."Hey! I thought the crying was old news?" "Shut up. I just missed you is all." Evelyn grumbled back wiping all the evidence of tears away from her face. "And I missed you too." I pressed a caring kiss to her forehead."Never do anything like that ever again." Evelyn begged into the crook of my neck so quietly I was sure Pepper couldn't hear."I did that for you and you know it.""That's exactly why I don't want you to do it again." She replied emotionally in the same heart-stricken tone."Yes, mom." I sighed, thinking maybe there could be trouble ahead. Some minuets later we could all hear some pumping muffled music coming from downstairs. Evelyn let out a huge, irritated sigh. "I'll be at Uriah's. He's coming over here soon." Evelyn said on her way out of the room. "Have fun, sweetie... And make sure he walks you home or call me or Happy to give you a ride home!" Pepper called after her."Wait-wait-when did that happen?!" I cried out shocked to Pepper when I was sure Evelyn's footsteps had reached the bottom of the staircase."When did what happen?" Came Pepper's reply, way to casual."Evelyn coinciding with boys?!""Tony, it's just Uriah. Not some high school jock. They need each other, she needs him to be happy again." Pepper shrugged saying what she way saying as if it was the most simplest thing that was. Like a basic equation or logic."Yeah but, he's a guy!" "Good spot, Tony. How did you pass biology again? So what if he's a boy? Does it matter? Surely it's a positive thing for her and means she's getting comfortable around that... Gender, if you will." "I don't like it." I crossed my arms."Of course you don't," Pepper muttered under her breath, "You don't have to like it. And if Evelyn's comfortable around him and is making her happy, that, is the only thing you need to like. Now go say hi to Rowan downstairs. I know that blaring music anywhere." Pepper walked over to me, standing over my form sat on the back of the couch, rubbing my thighs affectionately with those petite hands of hers."I will, I will. But, thanks, Pepper." I got back up with a crutch."For what?""Doesn't matter. Just thanks." I grinned at her."Okay?" Pepper furrowed her eyebrows confusedly, but nevertheless grinned back. Giving her a quick peck on the lips, I headed for the door. "Oh, and by the way, your team mates have been so kind as to take the kids out for a movie tonight. So maybe you will get your 'welcome home' gift."

"Ugh! Thank the lord! I knew that lot of misfits would come in handy one of these days!"

_... ... ... ... ... ... ... ..._

"I'm going, bye!" Evelyn called from the front door to anyone, jumping lightly when I appeared out of nowhere beside her. "You," I pointed at Uriah, "Bring her home.""Oh, p-lease." Evelyn rolled her eyes dramatically. Silently turning to apologize to Uriah."Sure thing. I was going to anyway." Uriah replied calmly; apparently unfazed by my kind of threat. Probably something he got from Natasha. Don't like it."Go have fun then." "I'm only helping him revise, anyway, bye dad." Evelyn one armedly hugged me. While placing a kiss to the top of her head, I carefully eyed Uriah trying to work out what Pepper was talking about… I got nothing…"Bye, beautiful."

Anyway after that, saying hello to Rowan was first on the agenda. From the sounds of it he was lurking down in my workshop. I could help but shudder at the thought of a teenager, or anyone except from me, meddling in my man was downstairs in my workshop behind my desk using my numerous computers and chatting with JARVIS.

"Mr. Stark, to wear an undetectable headset during an exam in order for me to help you cheat would be immoral. I highly recommend you to study the various modules required for your exam." "Oh, JARVIS grow some balls, would you?" Rowan quirked back, shaking his head."What have I told you about arguing with JARVIS?" I made Rowan jump as I spoke directly behind him. "What is this a communal internet cafe?" "What the hell?!" Rowan glared at me."Nice to see you too, kid. What are you doing?" "Science homework. When did you get home?" He asked frowning as I ran a hand through his freshly cut hair - a lot shorter."This afternoon before you got home from school. You okay, kiddo?" "Yeah, I-yeah. 'Suppose shits 'gonna get back to normal?" Rowan mumbled looking down at his hands."It will, you'll see. Before we can do that though you do get that we need to go and find him again?" I said softly and very un-Tony like. It was really just the reserved way I used to speak to Rowan and Evelyn. No one else saw it, when they did, rarely, they seemed shocked I could be so many people in one go. This kind of thing happened at a Gala or a Benefit Ball when Rowan only usually turned up for the free booze and Evelyn came because, just like her mom, she could dress up for the evening. You see, there is Tony Stark, Tony Stark with his kids, Tony Stark the sarcastic smart ass, Tony Stark with Pepper, Tony Stark the genius, billionaire, former playboy and philanthropist, Tony Stark Iron Man and a really rare one Tony Stark the sometimes business man.

Rowan nodded back to me in reply to my question. "But first, what about the baseball championship final game?" I mock punched Rowan's shoulder lighting up a grin on his face."You remembered?" He raised an eyebrow."Well, yeah. Don't I always?""No.""Oh, c'mon-""Nope, I haven't forgot! You forgot about me! I walked fifteen blocks home in the pouring rain after baseball practice when you were supposed to pick me up in the nice, warm Audi. I was soaked to the bone and I had a horrible cold after that! Haven't forgotten!" Rowan scoffed at me, getting up and crossing his arms."Right, right! Well I'm sorry again! C'mere you little-" I pulled him into me one armedly."Don't freak me out like that again." Rowan hushed against my shoulder. I let out a faint chuckle into the comforting feel of his hair bushing across my cheek."I think we've equally freaked each other out this time around. Except you can't remember the time you scared the god dammed hell out of me... Your a good kid. Despite being my kid, never loose that quality. Love you.""Don't leave ever. I punched a kid in the face to stand up for you." Rowan mumbled."I'm not going to leave you guys, ever. Don't think like that. I know I'd usually crack a joke right now. But Rowan, your going to hit me, your my baby," I pulled him back to see his eyes full of tears and leaned forward to press a kiss to his forehead, "and I'll be here for as long as you'll ever need me. I promised you that when you were a few hours old lying in that incubator, so impossibly tiny and defenceless, to look after you for as long as you need me to. Not as Iron Man but as your dad." "I've always liked my dad more than Iron Man anyway." Rowan hugged me again.

"Well I 'dunno, Iron Man is pretty cool…"

"Kill the moment, 'geez. Now I know how mom feels." Rowan hit me in the ribs lightly.

Then I wondered if Howard Stark felt anything as close to this for me because I had never felt so much love and compassion fill my chest for my son.

_... ... ... ... ... ... ..._

Evelyn came home around half six that night ready for a movie night with the Avengers, minus Iron Man. So Pepper and I had the house to ourselves which, believe me, I was ecstatic about. On the counter... On the couch... On the office desk... On the bed... Jeez, shut up Tony, you'll get yourself all revved up.

Anyways, Pepper was slipping me sly little looks still sticking to her story about straining myself all the way through dinner. It was still hilarious. Every time Pepper did throw me a smirk from across the table I did feel a sense of heat growing in my stomach.

They all thought it would be amusing enough to take Thor to the movie theatre. The movie choice was just as entertaining too. Both Evelyn and Rowan were allowed to choose what they were all going to see so, they picked the new Superman movie 'Man of Steel' as it had quite a bit of fighting in and they wanted to laugh at whatever reaction Thor had to it, just because they thought Thor would be ecstatic too see a superhero movie all victorious and fighting as he'd probably put it, being one himself. A nice kind of laughing they claimed, sometimes they just couldn't help but giggle at some things Thor said and when he was with Jane, Rowan was often amusing us and Evelyn with his "Me Tarzan, you Jane" Thor impression- which in it's self was a long story. We also figured Bruce couldn't get too angry watching the movie.

When they arrived, Pepper led then through to the kitchen where the three of us (Rowan, Evelyn and I) were sitting around the table."Stark, it is truly a pleasure to see you well enough to retire to your own homestead. Young Rowan and Evelyn Starkson are you ready to venture to the 'movie theatre' ?" Thor's booming voice echoed through the kitchen or rather house as he announced himself rather effectively."Yeah, we're ready!" Rowan laughed getting up with Evelyn."Hey!" Evelyn smiled, taking Steve's arm held out to her like the 40's gentleman he was. I also noticed Uriah hugged her, lightly grazing his lips along her cheek.

"Erm. Thanks, Point Break." I replied recovering the mini heart attack he just gave me.

Just when the kids were about to reply at the same time as getting up, the rest of the team filed through the wide spread doorway."Hey guys." Came numerous greetings from Steve, Natasha, Clint, Uriah and Bruce.

When they were leaving for the movie theatre, Bruce hung back."Tony? I know it's been a while but when can we talk about what happened? I saw you that afternoon, I should have never let you suit up after you had a-" "We're not bringing it up. It happened, now it's over so yeah, never talking about it.""You need to talk about it to somebody. I know I'm not that kind of doctor but I'm always willing to lend an ear and some friendly advice." Bruce said sympathetically."I said I'm fine. You'd drift off on me. There's nothing going on. I don't need to talk a doctor. Thank you, Bruce." I spat. Bruce held his hands up submissively just as Pepper walked back into the room."What's going on? Bruce, everyone's waiting on you." "I was just going. Bye, Pepper. Tony."

_... ... ... ... ... … … …_

The next few hours were bliss. From the couch where we chilled out a few hours ago, Pepper and I found ourselves in the middle of a deep kiss that just kept getting hotter and hotter until we haphazardly made it upstairs knocking things over on the way to the bedroom. And there, my deepest desires were fulfilled.

Now, we were in the ensuite with the bathroom door and the bedroom door firmly locked. After cooling off in bed tracing lazy patterns on Pepper's bare back, she took me into the bathroom for a long soak in the bath. Truthfully, I was beginning to nod off against Pepper's shoulder from where she sat on my lap in front of me in the enormous oval bathtub. Her hand was reaching up to gently massage the side of my scalp, sending pleasurable prickles down my spine, ever so softly wetting my head with the heavenly, warm, bubbly water. Just when I was about to let my eyes droop now that my head was buried in the crook of her neck, I whispered to her."You were the reason for me to recover. I'd be nothing without you. I love you, Pepper Potts." I barely heard her reply as I let sleep take me in it's powerful grasp again.


	33. Chapter 33 : Homerun

_**A/N : Please leave a review. **_

_**C**__**hapter 33 : Homerun.**_

_**Tony POV.**_

_**{A three weeks later.}**_

"UNNFF... Ow!" "Dad! Oh my god, are you okay?!" Evelyn screeched, leaping off the couch over to where I had just unceremoniously slipped on the last few steps of the stair case landing myself straight on my ass."Fucking crutches! Seriously?!" I glared at them."Here, let me help you up?" Evelyn stretched her hands out to me."Thank you, sweetheart. Don't tell your mom I swore. She'll kick my ass." I pulled myself up onto my feet a little more stably with the help of Evelyn. She grinned up at me a little sheepishly."Wooh, you freaked me then, you okay?" "Yeah, sorry, that kind of sucked though." Stabilizing myself with the help of the banister was easy but then Evelyn held the crutch out to me. Yes, one crutch, Well done, Tony. Gold stars for you for being able to walk again almost."Oh, just take it, you grumpy old man!" Evelyn laughed forcing the cutch onto the end of my arm, attaching it to me like I was a Lego man or something."I'm not old." I scoffed back narrowing my eyes at my own words really having no clue what I was on about."Well… Your older than me, pops."I chuckled drifting off in the direction of the workshop.

Back to me again, It truly seemed like the amount of energy flowing through my body right now due to the arc reactor settled in my chest had repaired me almost completely. The doctors were astounded. Nothing like the arc reactor existed in medical research let alone technology. Obadiah had said it years ago, Stark Industries had developed and built the arc reactor technology to shut the hippies up and prove a point. Not to be used for everyday life.

Now it all seemed very ironic. The arc reactor had caused good and bad in my life. Firstly, bad because I had ended up with it painfully implanted in my chest with feeble protests that were really worth nothing compared to the sheer amount of physical pain I was going through at the time : the clusters of shrapnel battling against Yinsen's not entirely sterilized medical utensils to hack into my heart, and the amount of ribcage I lost to fit in the arc. Because of that, I had lost all hope of having it removed. My internal organs couldn't support themselves or be protected in my half missing, mutilated ribcage. So I found it a mixture of happiness along with a strange feeling at the good it was doing now, repairing me instead of killing me slowly, torturously with it's palladium core poison.

I could walk, of course. It was getting all very easy again with each physiotherapy session. I was a little shaky and clumsy at times, but the strength never relented, just kept on building. Using just the one crutch was the easiest route though, unless I topple down the stairs that is. Pepper found it so emotional and exciting when she saw me take those first few steps totally unaided by anyone or the parallel bars. It was just every now and then I would have a wobble and topple.

The main thing was I was walking again. And walking meant getting in the suits again.

_**... ... ... ... ... ... ...**_

_**{Three more weeks later.}**_

_**Tony POV. **_

I'd been walking like an average adult for the best part of three weeks. No crutches. I'd even seen the last of my physiotherapy sessions. Things were back to normal again but no one will forget that long period of time where I'd been temporarily paralyzed.

Walking again allowed me to be mobile enough to work on the suits again, without getting insanely angry because I couldn't get to anything as easy as I would have liked. Unfortunately, the suit I had been wearing during the 'incident' , a rather huge incident, was so maimed and broken beyond repair. This gave me a chance to replace it with the process of building a brand new one, putting in new components like better software on JARVIS and the suit's tech in general, new ammunition and a shiny new paint job.

Although, I was yet to go on my first mission. Fury seemed a little, well, resistant against it. Like somebody told him something to make him exclude me from missions always insisting that I wasn't needed and Cap, The Black Widow, Hawkeye, Thor and the Hulk could handle it. I knew I'd get back to missions one way or the other. Iron Man is too much of a benefit to the Earth to be dismissed because what happened.

"Dad? Time to go-Ooh, looking good!" Evelyn nodded her head marvelling over the finished, brand new, Mark 42. The dull gold accent colour against the usual hot rod red was different, but still managed to look dynamic and all round awesome, even if I did say so myself."What is that, like Mark 15?" She carried on, making me internally flinch at the hall of armour installed beneath this very floor no one except me knew about, ready incase I needed to call up the house party operation. All Mark suits up to Mark 8 were displayed up here then the remaining thirty-two suits were accommodated below ground level and below the new pedestal I'd built myself with stairs leading down to a wine cellar -that everyone had seen, my little space with an arm chair and a huge variety of wines stored behind me in chillers. What they didn't know was that on my command the floor could open up revealing the thirty-two other suits I'd built so far."Somethin' like that," I stared at it for a moment, answering Evelyn's question, "Did you say it was time to go to the baseball game?" "Yep, mom's waiting." Evelyn called over her shoulder as she stepped up the stairs.

Before I went upstairs to meet them I took out a medium sized rectangle box from the safe in the wine cellar underneath the pedestal and took the hand gun inside the box protected by a plush surrounding of foam. Then tucking it at the back of the waistband of my jeans for a sense of security.

"Ready?" Pepper asked as I came into view upstairs. She stood waiting with Happy and Evelyn."Yeah. Wheels up, Hogan."

The school was lucky enough to have rented one of the big baseball stadiums in Malibu for their huge championship final tonight. There was that aura of excitement meshing with the slight smell of fast foods and the flood lights pouring onto the pitch.

No sooner had we picked a spot, familiar faces appeared."Rhodey, what are you doing here?!" I asked shockingly as I sat down next to him on a stadium seat with Pepper reserving a space in between us for Evelyn who had been snapped up by some of her old classmates."I'm not gonna' miss my favorite godson's big game!" He chuckled back leaning over to kiss Pepper's cheek. Just when he settled down in his seat we were joined by Natasha and Clint, (who were here because Uriah was in the team) Bruce and Steve. "Are baseball games a new extra curricular activity for the Avengers?" I leaned forward to ask in Bruce's ear cheekily just after they took their seats in the row in front of turned and flashed me a tired looking smile."Our little nephew was really excited about it, we couldn't not come." Bruce joked."Plus, I haven't played baseball let alone seen a game since the 30's." Steve added.

"Who was that?" I quietly asked once Evelyn settled herself in between Pepper and I casting some frightful glances at some men around us. Evelyn had managed to get away from some of her friends and an especially teary-eyed one. I lay my arm around her shoulders and pulled her lightly to me."That was Lucy. I haven't seen her since-y'know. She blames herself for not walking home with me." Evelyn muttered brittily a bit sadly herself, I ran my hand up and down her arm."And what did you say?""That it wasn't her fault and she shouldn't blame herself for what happened. I told her it was my fault for being stupid walking home on my own at that time of night." Evelyn shrugged dryly. I looked to Pepper who had been listening to the conversation we had just had. Pepper leaned back in her seat reaching over to twiddle Evelyn's hair in between her dancing fingers once she pulled a thick dark lock of Evelyn's hair behind her ear."It wasn't your fault. So, we'll keep saying it until you believe us." Pepper spoke softly and caringly just like how my mother used to speak to me.

_"Do you hate me, mommy?" I sniffled through the tears that ran down my cheeks still holding a piece of the china vase I had just ran into, toppled on top of it and cut my knee."Anthony, don't be so silly!" Mom looked up from wiping some stingy stuff on my knee to chuckle at me."You hate me! I'm sorry, mommy!" I cried harder."Oh, my poor baby! I don't hate you, how could I ever hate you? Your my big, strong, growing boy! Let's wipe those tears, shall we?" Mom pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve gently dabbing at my wet cheeks."But it was my fault for breaking the vase. Daddy's going to be really angry." "No he won't. Don't you worry one bit, I never really liked that vase anyway! It isn't your fault, my darling son." Mom scooped me up from the counter with my freshy bandaged knee, holding me on her hip, kissing my head."Yes, it is." "No it isn't, Anthony. And I'll keep telling you that until you believe me. Now, are you excited for your sixth birthday or are you excited?!" "I'm really excited! Mommy, I'm 'gonna be six! All big!" I hugged my little arms around mom's neck."Very big indeed! How's your knee?" "Stingy still." I pouted."There, mommy kissed it all better," Mom lifted me higher to press a kiss to my cut knee, "I love you very much, no matter what happens." _

"-Tony?... Tony?! Hello, anyone in there?" Rhodey knocked on my head forcefully making a loud rapping sound as well as some shocking jerks travelling through me."Huh?""You alright, Daddy?" Evelyn's worried voice came from beside me. Suddenly I felt most eyes on me. So I hastily replied."Yeah, everything's-what?" "You totally zoned out for a second there. You missed the teams coming out." Rhodey looked at me weirdly. Like I wasn't me. "Sorry-something Pepper said made me think of something." I sighed, feeling that familiar flood of grief whenever I thought of my mom. Pepper with Evelyn and Rowan reminded me so much of the small but meaningful moments I used to have with my mom when I was a little kid."What was it?" Evelyn smiled up at me, leaning more so into me. I loved this because it showed she trusted me entirely."Nothing exciting. Just my mom." I kissed her head. I heard a less than audible sigh in reply.

A while into the baseball game and Rowan's team was winning. Rowan had even hit a homerun, earning an eruption of people (including all of us) jumping around and cheering erratically. Which he graciously responded to with a double high-five to Uriah and a dramatic bow to the audience.

"I'm just going to the bathroom a sec." Evelyn said to Pepper and disappeared into the stadiums underground via the stairs.

It was then I saw him.

The odds of seeing him in a crowded stadium full of spectators, a place where he would seem so out of place. He looked like an illusion, I knew, however, this was so very real. Barely registering the fact he had arisen from his seat and followed after Evelyn. It was Justin fucking Hammer. Last time he threw me into a fit of panic. This time, I was more than ready to put a stopper on his god damned existence. I harshly elbowed Rhodey in the ribs making him wince and complain out of shock."What the hell, man?!""Don't look now," I breathed putting on a fake smile, just as he passed our isle, "But Justin Hammer is following Evelyn to the bathroom. I have a gun. You with me?" "Fuck yes." Rhodey glanced over once Hammer had too disappeared through the doorway going after Evelyn. Rhodey and I abruptly got up at the exact same time."Wha-?" Pepper began to ask."Uh-bathroom. We'll be right back." I mumbled turning around to see Rhodey raring to go. "Okay.. Well hurry back." Pepper grinned uncertainly.

"What's the plan, Tony?" Rhodey pulled out a handgun as well as soon as we were sneaking along in the grey cement halls still smelling the aroma of hot dogs and overexcitement."You carry a gun too?""Well, yeah. I'm in the military." Rhodey rolled his eyes dramatically at me.

A horrifying, blood curdling scream pierced the comfortable silence in the tense atmosphere between Rhodey and I. Our heads snapped towards each other sharing the same furious expression before setting into a brisk jog in direction of the bathrooms.


	34. Chapter 34 : Bite The Bullet

_**A/N : Hey, just a notice, updates are going to be every Tuesdays now. It's taking a little longer to plough through, I need more time! **_

_**Second thing ; the wedding... There's just going to be the reception, seeing as this is a Pepperony story - Clintasha does make it's debuts but don't feature. **_

_**Guys, I really want you to review! When I said I was thinking about stopping this, which I still am, I got a load of responses saying not to do it. So if you want me to carry this on properly please show your support and review this chapter. Every one counts for me.**_

_**PLEASE REVIEW!**_

_**Chapter 34 : Bite The Bullet.**_

_**Tony POV.**_

"Was that...?" Rhodey pretty much stage whispered to me as we paused in the hallway to listen again, still, hearing nothing."I'd love to say it wasn't, but I think so. Come on, before he does something worthy of a bullet in the head." I said, setting off on a jog of the ladies bathrooms after another small patch of jogging down the never ending dull, grey halls, a loud yell erupted alongside a slamming of a cubicle door muffled by the closed door enclosing whatever was happening inside. With a nod, Rhodey went ahead and kicked the door to the bathroom open. I was ready to see his face again. Ready to take out all of my anguish and hatred for all that Hammer had caused.

"In time for the big show, guys!" Hammer cheered holding something in his hand, his fingers curled around it. Hammer stood beside the locked toilet cubicle eyeballing it creepily. The only thing Justin Hammer did well, leering and eyeballing. He smiled wider when all three of us heard Evelyn's deadened breathing from inside the cubicle. Out of anger for the fact he was mere metres away from my daughter, my instincts lunged my frame forwards at him, Rhodey grabbed my arm with wide eyes."Tony, hold on. What's tha-that's a detonator." Rhodey said. His voice bleak."Son of a bitch." "I'mma' walk you through this nice and slow gentleman-" Hammer spread his arms wide apart, like he was in front of a big crowd. His finger clamped on the detonator.

From there everything happened too fast. In a half of a second the metal ribbed air vent was removed from above where Hammer stood and a gun shot rang, the bullet slicing through the air, puncturing rapidly through Hammer's skull. Crimson blood splattered the mirrors as Hammer's body fell to the ground with a loud thump as well as Rhodey and I. I felt warm splatters of blood stain my clothes and visible skin. Rivers and rivers of blood poured out of the gun shot wound pooling at mine and Rhodey's feet. The two of us stood astounded at what had literally just happened in the blink of an eye, an unknown SHEILD agent dropped from the air vent, landing stably on his feet."Dead as a turkey on thanks giving. Cheers for the stalling, we've been tracking him the whole of this evening." He nodded his head at us, examining the body and readying the corpse to take away, all the while disconnecting the detonator and rendering it completely harmless."I wasn't expecting that." Rhodey stated simply, although his eyes were wide.

Rhodey kicked his body more to the side seeing I was about to try and attempt to get Evelyn from the cubicle."Evs?" I whispered just as I squidged myself up against the door hearing sniffles, heavy breathing and every now and then an escaped rough sob."Evelyn, open the door. It's me, it's gonna be fine," I tried again, "Your safe now, I'm here. I can protect you." That seemed to have lured her out, I heard a couple of soft smacks where the rubber of Evelyn's sneakers hit the tiled flooring. The door opened cheeks were blotched red from the tears that dripped down her wet cheeks. Evelyn still kept the panicked and terrified expression on her face even though it was more than evident I was here. Her arms that were once wrapped around herself now wound around me, helplessly crying into my shoulder."I'm here, darling," I felt her head turn towards Hammer's dead body a few feet away from us, "Don't look, don't look." I rubbed her back with one hand and tried to turn her head back towards me but it failed. Evelyn's eyes widened and seeing all that blood combined with his dead body, she just dropped in my hold. I also didn't expect that, she fell out of my arms before I could react and landed, her back of her head making a dull bang on the blood stained tiles, stray pieces of hair whisping into the rivers of blood.

_**... ... ... ... ... ... **_

_**Evelyn POV.**_

"Hmpf. Head hurts." I moaned groggily into a pillow, all ounces of my body aching horribly. Where was I? My eyes opened for a fraction of a second before the light forced me to close them from the horrific light making my head pound even more. Why was I even in a bed anyway last thing I remember-Fuck.

Oh. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I remembered his dead body on the hard tiles. The blood starting to flood around my feet, his lifeless face. Then, I remembered receiving a rather sharp blow to the head. He came after me again when we all thought he wouldn't.

I know I can breathe again now he's most definitely gone.

"Evelyn?" Someone above me called out at the same time as their weight was added to where I was lying and their fingers felt that back of my head, poking at the goose egg developing where I collided with the floor."Hm? Ow." "Honey, wake up?" I heard it to be more of a question, seeing mom and finding myself in the living room on the couch. "How are you feeling? Your dad said you took quite a blow to the head." "Horrible. 'Got a massive headache." I moaned."That why I brought aspirin and water. Do you want to stay here for a while?" Mom re-settled the blanket around me and told JARVIS to tint out the windows."Mmm. Yeah. Where's dad?" "He's with the rest of the team and Fury. He'll be up as soon as he can." Mom motioned over to the stair way to the workshop downstairs. "Did that all happen or was it a horrible nightmare?" I said sheepishly, remembering his dead body again making my stomach turn."I'm sorry, honey, it did happen. He's gone now. So we can all move on." Mom rubbed my knee as she passed me the aspirin and the glass of water. "'Suppose." I murmured sinking back into the couch ready to drift off.

_**... ... ... ... ... ... ...**_

_**Tony POV.**_

"Pepper, how is she?" I asked sincerely catching Pepper's hand in mine as I finished walking up the last few steps after a small de-briefing session had just taken place and everyone had left the mansion, there wasn't an awful lot to be said since Hammer had been shot in the head right in front of our eyes and was now erased from existence."Fine, she's just fine. Only a headache and a bump on her head, we have to keep an eye on her though incase she has concussion... That's what one of those creepy SHIELD doctors said anyway." "Oh good, Evelyn had me worried for a while there." "She's a tough cookie. She can get through this.""Of course she will. Just like her momma'" I leaned into Pepper for a kiss. A small smile graced Pepper's face as she leaned forward, meshing her slightly chapped lips with mine.

_**... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...**_

_**Pepper POV.**_

I sighed seeing Tony work harder than he really needed to make himself do in his workshop over another techy thing that apparently needed his attention at half eleven at night. Tony didn't see me at first but a little laugh escaped my lips from where I stood on the last few steps looking at the way the world famous genius worked when he was by himself. Some tool being handled in between his mechanically skilled (and skilled in other areas...) fingers, his tongue clutched in between his pearly whites, an oil splodge smeared and smudged on his forehead as well as his nose and deep 'V' lines embosses into his forehead from the deep concentration.

I punched my code into the access panel on the glass window and wrenched the door out of my way. Tony didn't even notice I'd opened the door so I walked over, placing myself behind him, lacing my arms around his neck and leaning down to rest my head in the crook of his neck, locks of my hair rolling over his shoulders and tumbled down his chest surely tickling his neck."Holy crap!" He jumped out of his skin almost."Sorry," I kissed the side of head, above his ear, "Are you coming to bed?""Yeah, yeah, I said I'd be up at half ten-wait, what's the time?" "It's quarter too twelve." "Oh, I'm sorry, geez. I got a little carried away down here, you know how it is with me and my workshop." Tony said sheepishly, seemingly a little unhappy."You okay? Baby?" I said faintly into his neck after I kissed the little sensitive spot under Tony's ear. Tony groaned leaning more into me, eager to get some more affection."Fine. If you keep doing that though I'll be just peachy.""Well I'll just have to chimmy you away from here." I began walking away."Where are you going?!" Tony whined when he instantly missed the contact. I reached the door and leaned against the door frame, casting a seductive look over to him where he sat with a longing look in his eyes and his mouth hanging agape."A shower."Tony nodded in understanding and shut his mouth slightly."And your coming with me." I smiled, swished my pony tail as I turned for the stairs."I-I better." Tony eagerly scrambled off his chair, telling JARVIS to save all of his current projects and shut down while he chased after my tail like a needy lost puppy. Because under all of that bravado, the fake smiles Tony puts on, the vulnerable emotional scars he hides within his many layers of personality, through Iron Man, Tony Stark is someone else. He is my husband and the father of my children. Overall, he's just a family mechanic away from the press. He always has that familiar musk of motor oil about him, he's always chugging down a coffee because he won't move without his hourly dose of caffeine, he's always eating a dough nought and playing around with cars. To us, he's just Tony, a complete moron, grease monkey, a banterer, an amazing husband, devoted father to his two best creations and all round great friend and good person despite what the tabloids say, they will never be within these four walls. Because he is Anthony.

_**... ... ... ... ... ... ...**_

_**{Meanwhile at the Barton-Romanoff household.) **_

_**Natasha POV.**_

"Nat?" Clint's voice travelled through the house with him as he appeared in the kitchen with Uriah and I."Mmhm?" I hummed to tell him I was indeed listening."I like this one, it's nearer to the sea." Uriah held up the page of the estate catalogue (what could we say, we fancied a change) where a coastal house was featured."Hmm... That's a possibility. I wonder why you would want to move to the coast?" I chuckled at my son, raising my eyebrows also wearing a smirk."I like the sea!" Uriah's jaw dropped dramatically."Amongst other things, near a certain house on the coast," I added hastily, "Yes, Clint?""I was thinking-""Here we go, did you break a bone?" Uriah chuckled then laughed more after receiving a shove of the head from Clint."Well, I was thinking, we got a kid, haven't we?" "Yes. Clint, 'we got a kid'-""Jesus, dad. Thanks for recognising me, way to be smooth, you old dog.." Uriah rolled his eyes with a snort."Let me carry on! We have a kid right and I've been thinking... Y'know why don't we, like, get married?-"A second after Uriah gulped down some of his drink it all came spluttering back up launching him into a coughing fit."You what?! Your getting-?! Mom, are you pregnant or something?!" He coughed and spluttered some more.

"What?! No! Go in the living room a second." "Going, going!" Uriah laughed taking his housing estate catalogue with him."You want to get married?" I turned to Clint as soon as Uriah walked out of the room. I spun to meet his gaze in my chair while he leaned against the kitchen cabinate near the sink."Yeah, I do. We've been together for years. We have Uriah. We may be moving house. I don't really know why we have waited this long before.Y'know, it seems like the last thing to finally tie you to me.""You know the traditional way, Clint? A ring, down on one knee? Didn't that spring to mind?" I bit back a forming smile at the bizarre format of the question. "Oh. Yeah. Well. I didn't want to be shot down. So if I got a ring and got down on one knee, would you marry me?" Clint enquired, leaning closer to hear my response."Absolutely. I'll take your name. Oh-but I'm staying as Agent Romanoff for missions.""Deal." Clint kissed me hard through the smiles we both wore.

_**... ... ... ... ... ... ... **_

_**Evelyn POV.**_

From : Uriah.

To : Evelyn.

Sent : 12:01 AM.

_'Don't shout at me for checking up on you again, just seeing if your okay :-) Btw, my mom & dad are getting freaking married!'_

I hastily replied.

To : Uriah.

From : Evelyn.

Sent : 12:03AM.

_'Whoaa! Bout time! Best man I'm guessing?! ;-) xx'_

Came the reply.

To : Evelyn.

From : Uriah.

Sent : 12:05 AM.

_'Only if your the head bridesmaid ;-D xx'_

My jaw dropped at my text from Uriah. Is he saying that because he knows the head brides maid and the best man always get together? Awkward."Mom, mom, mom, mom, mom!" I ran into mom and dad's bedroom thinking they were probably asleep as I almost always am awake later than them. I ran in and found mom towelling her hair dry and dad already asleep on his side of the bed, nonetheless I pounced on the bed. "Dad, wake up!" Pushing him repetitively for a good five minuets through his protests he groaned."No.""Wake up!""No.""But you have to-""Daddy's sleeping, sweetheart. Have you got a boyfriend or something? 'Cause I'll get up and get the suit on." Dad said sweetly trying to fall back to sleep again."No! Oh my god! Your so embarrassing! No, guess what?!""What's going on?" Mom laughed rummaging through the drawers."We're going to a wedding!""Not yours I hope." Dad rolled onto his back having me fall into his lap."No! Uncle Clint and Aunty Nat's wedding!" "Koor' 'bout time!" Dad snorted."Oh my gosh! That's so brilliant!" Mom gasped excitedly.


	35. Chapter 35 : Night Tremors

_A/N : UPDATE TIME! Hey everyone :-)_

_Not a lot to sat exceot thankyou all for the reviews, keep it going please! Hope you like this chapter and tell me what you think! **Chapter 38 is going to be really long by the way, like 5000+ so that'll be good for you to read, it's and extreme M+ RATING for the natures. Any questions or concerns about it / if you think it could affect you do ask 'cause it's a heavy theme I'll keep up for a while.** _

_PLEASE REVIEW!_

_Chapter 35 : Night Tremors._

_Pepper POV._

We went up to bed fine, I stayed up a little after having a shower to wash my hair. After Evelyn left our bedroom to go and get some sleep herself, Tony fall back into a soppy, groggy sleep, demanding him at my side .

At a strange unknown time I found myself staring up at the ceiling. Why had I woken up? Beside me came an amount of unsettled shuffling. It took a few more minuets to become more aware, I listened carefully to the man beside me. At sometime during the night Tony and I must have rolled away from each other. I looked over my shoulder to see Tony's back facing me. All seemed normal for a second before I focused on him a little more; Tony was tremoring in his sleep, the back of his neck glossy from sweat ,curled in on himself with a pillow clenched in the middle of his strained arms, the muscles moulding into the pillow. Tony was audibly whimpering and jerking, a few heart broken sobs breaking out from his throat and being sure to stab me straight through the heart. With a heartbroken expression on my face for the nightmares had seemingly reappeared, I leaned over to Tony gasping his sweat slicked shoulder beneath my fingers.

"Tony!" I hushed in his ear, gently shaking his shoulder and looking into his distressed face; pouting lip, tense posture, whimpers and odd broken sobs rasping out from his lips, 'v' shape creases on his forehead from his frown, furrowed brows, droplets of sweat rolling down his face and many a worry crease spread across his face.

"Tony, wake up. Your dreaming, wake up." I shook him again expecting that it wouldn't awake Tony, except his eyes shot open and his body jolted up right knocking me out of the way in the process - ridding the wind from my lungs in a matter of seconds.

Tony drew his knees up to his chest, elbows resting on his knee caps and his head in his hands. I noticed tears trickling down the inside of Tony's wrists as he tried to contain the heart stricken sobs and hastened breath, though a few escaped, soon enough our bedroom was filled with a distressed sob every few minuets and a few sniffles.

"Tony?" He didn't move.

"Tony?" I said again in the same tone, taking Tony's wrists in my hands and trying to pry them away from his face.

"Look at me."

"M' fine." He choked out, ripping his wrists out of my hands and tearing out of the bed to storm into the bathroom still heavily breathing.

I watched him for a moment through the door way in the moon lit ensuite. Watched how he stared blankly at himself in the mirror. How he hastily wiped away the stray tears that still betrayed him. Tony hit his open palm against his forehead.

"You 'wanna talk about it?" I said from the bed.

"No." He snapped back.

"I think you should-"

"Don't!" He threw his body towards me in a furious snap, his expression tired and angry beyond belief.

"Don't, what?! It's okay, you know. To admit how you feel and own up to the fact that the nightmares have gotten to you." I said calmly, but feeling my anger stir within me .

"No. Pepper, no. It's not okay. I've been vulnerable for too long. Don't you think it's pathetic enough grown man has fucking nightmares!?" He shouted back.

"No I damn well don't! It's okay! I wish you would just accept that!"

"You have no idea, Pepper, no fucking clue!"

_... ... ... ... ... ... _

_Rowan POV. _

Shouting threw me out of sleep. It took my sleep absorbed brain a while to work out what was going on. I think mom and dad were shouting downstairs. I heard a faint knock on the wall opposite my bed and knew it was my sister. It was a kind of thing that we developed between each other, knocking to each other through our walls signalling to one another that the other was awake. I lazily balled up some socks from my drawer and threw them across the room awfully, but far enough for them to hit the wall with a dull thud.

I slipped out of bed and into the dark hallway, quickly looking over to see mom and dad's room in darkness with the door open and the stair way lit. A lot of shouting echoed up the stairs. I gulped. I bloody hated to death when my parents argued. Not wanting to hear more I walked the few feet of our huge rooms to Evelyn's bedroom which was loudly stated with a plush pink polka dot 'E' on the front of the door. I cracked it open and walked into complete darkness.

"You heard that? You okay?" Evelyn asked from her huge double bed. Tears creeped up on me.

"Yeah... Can I stay here?"

"Yeah, of course. Hey, don't get upset," Evelyn whispered, getting up from her bed and hugging me warmly and tightly.

"I hate it when they argue as well. They never do which is what makes it worse.

"I didn't say anything, just hugged her tightly. She was so petite in my muscled arms.

"I hate it when they shout at each other." I mumbled.

"Aw, I know. Me too." Evelyn rubbed my back through my white cotton t-shirt and ruffled my hair with her other hand.

_... ... ... ... ... ... ... ..._

_Rowan POV. _

Angry as fuck I grabbed the first newspaper from the rails I saw and tossed some money at the sales man.

"Happy? Take me to Stark, please." I demanded probably a little too harshly at poor old Happy just standing by the Bentley as soon as I jogged briskly through the front gate to the mansion after school to avoid all of those knob head reporters asking questions."Of course. Where's the fire, man?!" Happy was unfazed by my snapp and just chuckled when I threw myself into the car."Just drive, please."

_**'Stark and Potts on the rocks : Stark Industries couple divorce?' **_The newspaper read in bold writing on the front with a probably billion dollar worth photo of mom and dad at some benefit ball. This shit travels fast. They've been arguing for a few days now on and off. With things like this in the news it made it hard to know what to believe anymore.

"Listen, Happy. _'Stark and Potts on the rocks : Stark Industries couple divorce?'_. What the hell does that mean?! Don't answer!"

"That's actually very clever ' on the rocks' seeing as you live on the coast on rocks... Kind of." Happy babbled in his usual cheery voice.

"What does that even matter?! Are you a reporter, Happy Hogan, body guard to the Stark family? Huh?!" I said irritably.

"You must admit. On the rocks.. 'Cause you live on the rocks... Bloody brilliant!" Happy snorted at his own joke whilst hitting his palm against the steering wheel as he pulled up outside the Stark Industries lobby. Who laughs at their own god damned jokes?!

"Yes. Okay, it's kind of clever. But that's not the point! See ya, Happy." I sighed in defeated and slammed the door after me.

"Hello, Rowa-" Aunty Natasha started when she saw me on the top floor where both mom and dad's offices were. Aunty Natasha was working on the desk outside dad's office.

"Hi. Know where they are?" I cut her off.

"Er- Your father is in his office. Is everything okay?" Aunty Natasha frowned at me just as I threw myself into a brown leather chair.

"Yeah, everything's just fab... You know what?! Fuck it. We're related. This'll probably be my office one day." I stomped over to the door to my dad's office angrily and wrenched it out of my way.

Dad wasn't even doing anything remotely important or so it seemed, he didn't even notice I'd walked in. I stood there for a number of minuets only being noticed when dad leaned back in his chair bringing his eyesight up to level and sipping on his glass of scotch.

"What are you doing here?!" He jumped a mile. "Your supposed to be at school!"

"'Cause I saw this." I rolled up the paper into a roll and threw it as hard as I could at his stupid head. His stupid, stupid head that I just wanted to pummel into the ground right now.

"What is this? Haven't I told you not to believe what you read?!" Dad's voice raised instantly. It scared me a little bit but I powered on. I just started this, so hey, I may as well carry it on. I'm not backing down.

"Why is this in the press?!" I shouted, outraged.

"What is this reaction?! You know this isn't true!" Dad's palms hit down on the desk as he threw himself upright.

"BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO THINK!"

"Rowan, don't ball shit me. Go to school or where ever you have to be. I haven't got time for a kid right now." Dad dismissed me. Still a glint of anger lingered in his eyes even through his lazy dismissal.

"Haven't got time?"

"No. Get out of my office."

"For a kid?" I whispered beginning to feel the piles of hurt I felt on my shoulders just as the tears pleaded to resurface.

"No."

"I'm _your_ kid though. That doesn't make a difference because I'm not screaming your name or-or begging for your God damned autograph, all you want is an ego boost? Nothing else really matters to you. Mom. Me. Ev-Just you." Now, I was close to letting the tears break through saying anything I could to hate him more and draw him further into this.

"GET OUT!" Dad shouted full pelt at me, even making me shrink into myself a little. Behind me, the door opened to reveal Aunty Nat walking into dad's office warily, she glared at dad for shouting at me. Aunty Nat may be an expert, trained assassin, but she was the best Aunty ever. Period.

"What is going on?" Aunty Nat looked at us accusingly from one to the other, her hand settling on my shoulder and stroking comfortingly.

"Nothing. Rowan was just leaving." Dad glared back at her, the only light of comfort I had in here was Aunty Nat and she was being mentally shot down by that man I didn't even know right now.

"Yeah, I was just getting out of his way," I said plainly. Before I stepped to the door I turned to add bitterly, "You know I've always tried keeping a positive mind set about you. Now I can't ignore that anymore. You were never here for me and Evelyn. Not really. Your missions were, still are and always will be more important than us. No wonder you had a shit dad, you bloody well deserved it, and now your beginning to follow in his footsteps. Congrats, Pops." With that. I left because I thought he's come after me with a torpedo or his Iron Man suit or something and blast me into Australia.

"Happy. Home. Now." I choked on my words and Happy saw this too as I all but ran out of the building.

Not many things were clear. I was so angry, hurt and confused, I didn't even know what I was doing anymore.

No one was home. No one to stop me from being an idiot.

Bottles of whiskey and vodka weighed heavily in my hands until I threw them onto the leather seats of my rust bucket car that I rarely used. Go to Washington. Maybe.

All I knew is I felt the biggest impulse to drink booze. Just enough to drink myself into oblivion and forget about what happened for a little while.

_... ... ... ... ... ..._

_Tony POV. _

"ROWAN?!"

Nothing. Again.

"ROWAN?!" I guessed he'd been sulking in his room all night and all morning after our argument yesterday afternoon in my office. We were both at each others necks like wild dogs, Rowan was furious at me for that stupid headline that was printed yesterday. Still what he said made my blood boil, he was only probably right though in that I wasn't good to them. Not good to Pepper-

_Clack, clack, clack, clack..._

"Pep?"

"Uhuh?" Pepper walked through the doorway into the hallway where the foot of the stairs lay. Her fingers grasped some kind of Danish pastry, a coffee and a newspaper.

"We need to-ROWAN!- talk." I said to Pepper in between shouting up the stairs again for Rowan.

"Go ahead and talk then, Tony. Because I really don't know what to say." To my utter surprise Pepper allowed tears to flow from her eyes. We both equally hate when an argument ensues, but you can't just ignore what the other had said when it is so brutal it leaves you raw and shaky, you have to stick it out and eventually one of you, or maybe both, caves and apologises for their wrong doings. Through the tears Pepper looked at me with both looks of hopelessness and pity for me.

"I'm sorry. I'm a hot piping mess and I took that out on you, I suck for that. It's my fault." My expression softened in response to Pepper, I tested out the water once she uncluttered her hands, gladly she accepted (or at least didn't pull away) when I loosely intertwined our fingers by our sides.

"Really? I didn't notice that." Pepper said without emotion.

"I know. I'm sorry. Really, I am so sorry." I tugged on her hand a little showing off my childish side. Trying to make her crack a smile. Or laugh.

"How do I know that? What you said was really fucking stupid, you great big idiot. What if you-no, when you have another nightmare are you going to fly off the handle if I ask if your okay?" Pepper sniffled looking at the floor but I still noticed the way she shuffled from foot to foot towards me.

"Tell me what you want me to say, Pepper."

"Make me forgive you. Make me forget what you said."

"I'm so sorry, baby." I whispered, taking her hands behind me and placing them just above my ass. I cradled her face between my hands.

"Is that it?" Pepper said monotone.

"Nope. I'll go to every meeting for the next week,"

"Your bribing me? Sorry, Mr Stark, but no can do. I don't do bribery. As I'm sure you know." Pepper glided her nails against the small of my back, which through my t-shirt gave me the shivers.

"Right, this isn't really my style, but hey," I sighed. Ready to grovel at Pepper's feet, I got down on my knees and held her hands in mine.

"What are you doing...?" Pepper muttered, shoving me lightly to get up. Pepper couldn't contain a little giggle from her lips.

"Will you," I kissed her stocking covered left knee, "Pepper Stark," I kissed her right knee, "forgive me for what I said," My arms wrapped around the middle of her legs and leaned my chin on her thighs looking up at her, "Because I'm a bastard and I deserve the hate your giving me. I love you more than I can say. I'll make it up to you every day if I have to."

"I want you to make it up to me." Pepper said softly, still managing to sound heartbroken. She placed her hands on the back of my head grinning when I shuddered at the pleasant and missed feeling of her medium to short length nails began raking sensitively across my scalp.

"If I kissed you?" I started feebly scared of rejection from Pepper.

"Then I would kiss you back." Pepper replied, she wound her arms around me when I stood on my feet again as close as I could get to her and showing her through my eyes how much she meant to me and how very sorry I was. I leaned in to her slowly and gently just to see how she would take it even though she had just said she would kiss me back. Geez, it makes us sound like teenagers. Pepper's right hand locked into my hair and brought me even closer and ran the tip of her nose against mine, nuzzling gently and meaningfully. Then, I got hungry, I pressed our lips together hastily, my hands placing themselves around her hips and in the dip of her lower back.

"I'm sorry again, by the way." I said against her lips when we both pulled away slightly.

"Oh, shut up. Your forgiven." Pepper slapped my cheek lightly and pulled my lips to hers again. Despite my forming grin, I let my tongue run across Pepper's bottom lip begging for entrance . She seemingly happily complied, letting a fight for dominance ensue.

"I'm not the only one you have to apologise to, though, am I?" Pepper leaned back from the kiss, her hands clawing slightly at my chest. We both knew what she was talking about in less that three seconds, her eyebrows were raised, eyes fixed in almost glares.

"I know," I sighed, "I will, I will. But hey, he's sulking so he can drag his sorry ass down here and apologize first."

"Aside from that... Have you been up to his- I- Have you seen him since your argument?" Pepper deadpanned looking straight into my eyes with a serious look close to worry.

"I told you, I hadn't seen him since yesterday. Hey, JARVIS? You there ,buddy?"

"Always, sir. How may I be of assistance?" "Where is Rowan? Do you know? Is he in his room?" I asked the ceiling.

"No, sir. In fact, young Mr. Stark left the premises a number of hours ago, forty five minuets after your argument with him. I have no record of where he is now." JARVIS simply replied.

"Huh?! JARVIS! Why didn't you say anything?!" "Oh my god, Tony, what did you say to him?!" Pepper cried out, exasperated and grabbing the table top of the breakfast bar for support.

"Nothing a patch on what he said to me! JARVIS, have we got any footage of that time? Bring it up, show me."

Silently JARVIS loaded up footage of the time after Rowan got home after our argument. He knew best to face away from the cameras in this house, even with JARVIS being the eye in the sky. All it displayed on the interface of the footage recorded yesterday was Rowan in the house for a number of minuets before leaving. He was shown grabbing several bottles from the kitchen cabinates in a second I knew what he took, I wanted to deny it and say 'no, my kid wouldn't do that in a million years.' , Rowan took several of my hidden whiskey bottles from my private stash. Then the footage location changed down to the workshop where his car was stored because he never really used it as either me, Pepper, Evelyn, Rhodey or Happy always took him willingly to where he needed to be, Rowan jumped into his rusty car and drove off recklessly.

"Oh shit."


	36. Chapter 36 : The Call & Fillers

_A/N : UPDATE TUESDAY! Yay! _

_Rightt, I was going to upload like an hour ago but it's up here now so its all good, things were a little busy._

_I'm not terribly fond of this chapter , meh, I'm just trying to build up to what is coming up. And just trying to mentally screw Rowan up enough! Yay! Also ; You shoukkd really read this if you want to understand a load of stuff : Rowan was involved in a shooting at his high school and was a momentary hostage with an armed gun held to his head, so that's kind of made him even more helpless, okay?_

_Good now, I'm sifting through names for future... human beings? So I've got a few like Sidney and Finnley ect... So if you like to help me narrow down the list then PM me and I'll grab your opinion. _

_So thankyou for reviwing me last chapter.. AND KEEP DOING IT, REVIEW! And I may be back before Tuesday, but your catching up with me, I'm being a really slow writer at the moment! _

_Ah! I CANT WAIT TO PUT UP CHAPTER 38! And to my guest reviewer who wanted to now about it ; LOG IN! And I'll tell you! _

_Anyways , have a read would'ya? And drop a review down there :-)_

_Chapter 36 : The Call & Fillers._

_Tony POV. _

My son had ran away. Ran away from me. Because of me. I say ran away making it sound immature, it was immature Rowan was only a kid, no matter how old I forget him to because he is incredibly mature considering who his father is. *Cough cough*. I don't blame him for fleeing though. I remember running away plenty of times when my mother and father argued horribly in the dead of night.

What shocked me the most was Rowan taking booze with him, why would he do that? To himself overall. Tiny fragments of that act scared me half to death. There was a part in my life a long time ago where I was a booze fuelled playboy carelessly supplying my body out to blond blue-eyed bunnies who would pay good money to the news rails the next day with their story of sleeping with Tony Stark.

Then of course, Afghanistan happened. Then Pepper happened, and I haven't looked back since, I'm a changed man.I don't want Rowan to drink, but it's a thing that teenagers do. I knew Evelyn drank, she's sixteen years old, nearly seventeen and I can say I have never seen her drunk, Evelyn is very sensible since 'the incident'.

An hour had passed Pepper and I had found out that Rowan had fled yesterday, how could we not have known? Pepper said she came home late from work around twelve at night and went straight to bed so she wouldn't have checked on him if she thought he was already asleep.

So now, the both of us freaking out because our fourteen year old son had gone walk about, driving around Malibu in each car, Pepper in her Mercedes and me in my Audi also with Happy in the Bentley and Rhodey in his sleek black Range Rover for any sign of him. Pepper's voice cut into the warm setting of my Audi talking through the intercom.

"Tony, any sign of Rowan?"

"No, I'm guessing you haven't got any leads either. I'm sorry Pep, we'll keep looking." I said back monotone too immersed on scanning any faces passing my car window.

"Okay. Just keep driving," Came her solemn reply, "Hey, your closest to the school, can you go pick Evs up?"

"Oh, shit, yeah, yeah, yeah. Going there now." I hit the steering wheel with one clenched fist, completely forgetting it was my turn to do the school run.

"It's okay, you still have ten minuets. I'll call back soon." Pepper tried to soothe even though her voice was cracking with emotion.

"Right, love you."

"I love you too." Pepper broke the connection.

It took me just under ten minuets to reach MIT, I parked across the road from the school in my flashy red Audi R8 so it wouldn't be too hard for Evelyn to spot me waiting for her. Another five minuets of going crazy and Evelyn walked from the building down the set of steps with her friends, all hugging them goodbye and whatnot before watching the road either way, opening the door and slipping into the passenger seat.

"Hey, princess, good day?"

"Good thank you, thanks for picking me up," Evelyn leaned over to press a quick kiss to my cheek in thanks, I smiled fondly back at her, "How was your day? Or have you been lazing around or... I 'dunno, made it up with mom?" She asked cheekily as I started up the engine.

"Number one ; that's my job as long as you don't go confusing me with Happy. Number two ; That's very cheeky but yes I've grovelled to your mother and she has forgiven me for being an arse and Number three ; about that, Rhodey, Happy, your mom and I are currently on a man hunt for your brother since he's gone walk about."

"What?!"

"Yep. So we have one hour until we can file a missing persons report."

"Is this because of that stupid argument you had?" Evelyn groaned.

"Uhuh, probably. Now, shall I take you home or d'you 'wanna stay with me?"

"Stay. I'll text Uriah see if he's seen or heard from him."

... ... ... ... ... ... ...

We didn't see any sign of Rowan, none of us did. We went home and grieved as if he died, searching through California's CCTV cameras. Calling everyone and anyone, including Fury, to keep their eyes (or eye in Fury's case) peeled for any whiff to where Rowan may or may not night we got a call.

"Sir, the general hospital bordering California is on line 1." JARVIS called out when I was half way through my scotch, Pepper was pacing near the front door and Evelyn still hadn't given up on ringing him. Although, his phone wasn't even ringing. Had he turned it off?

"Patch them through!" I said panicky once Pepper and I exchanged a horrified expression.

"Mr. Stark?" A males voice sounded through the house.

"Speaking, yes."

"My name is Dr. McIntyre from the far north Malibu hospital. I'm afraid I have some rather distressing news. I have your son here in the accident and emergency room-" 'son' , 'accident' and 'emergency' was all we needed to hear before I zoned out for a second or two and Pepper bundled herself in her arms, allowing the tears to flow out of insane worry and utter relief Rowan wasn't missing from the face of the earth.

"What happened? Is my boy okay?" I forced out of my vocal cords.

"It's hard to say at the current time. There was an explosion in a motel on California's boarder. It took the medics quite sometime to find Rowan, he was heavily intoxicated - It would be brilliant if we could talk face to face? Mr. Stark would you be able to reach us at the A&E?"

"Shit-yeah. My wife and I will be there ASAP."

"Oh god." Pepper panted, her hand going to her chest in alarm.

"Fuck. We need to, we should go, Pepper?" I stood slowly unsure whether that shock impacted my balance in someway, grabbing the edge of the breakfast tabletop incase I needed it and placed my hand on Pepper's shoulder. She didn't say anything but feebly wrapped her arm around my waist and lightly fell into my shoulder. We only stayed like that for a minuet or two before proceeding to the car with Evelyn right behind us.

As per usual speeding towards the hospital well over the speed limit, not that anything happened ever, was a quick inside we rushed up to the reception desk with the receptionist looking like one of my old usual ditzy blondes re-glueing on her false nails and rejecting what she was actually supposed to be doing.

"Uh-When your ready." I snapped rudely out at her and banged my hands upon the desk.

"Right, right. What do you need, mister?" She sighed heavily. Obviously hating her job.

"I want to see my kid. Now."

"'Gonna need a name, mister. A 'lotta kids come through this A&E."

"His name is Rowan Stark. Could we see him?" Pepper interjected, the hand that wasn't wound around Evelyn's waist firmly going to the small of my back just to remind me even though Rowan was in god knows what state we were still in a public setting and not to get myself all wound up towards this bimbo and fly off any last grip I had on my emotional handle.

"You'll need to see his doctor first, I'm not sure how he's doing now but last I heard it wasn't too good-"

"Thank you, Miss. Kerry. Let's try to keep a positive light. Hello, Mr. Stark, Mrs. Stark," Dr. McIntyre circled the desk once he spotted us, giving the so called 'Miss. Kerry' a polite look which other wise looked like a 'shut the fuck up' look, "If you would like to come through to where we're treating Rowan." He smiled, although rather grimly, motioning for us to follow him. On the way Dr McIntyre explained what was wrong on the way, "This is serious. Rowan was near enough to the source of the explosion for it to cause a sizeable amount of damage to his body. The probable most shocking thing you'll see is the approximately eight inch almost stake, like part of a wooden bed post impaled in his chest, there is a puncture to his lung which is why he is hooked up to a ventilator because of his breathing is troubled from that, Rowan has several bruised and broken ribs, stitches and bruises and very minor burns, a broken ankle and a dislocated shoulder." He concluded once we were stood outside of the recess room.

Rowan lay there. Lifeless, almost. The most of what I could see was white and crimson, black and blue. White from the bandages gently encasing his burns, crimson from the dried blood on his pasty skin and burnt flesh, black and blue from the bruises painting his fragile looking waxy skin. I didn't want to think it or about it but he looked dead. I felt sick staring at him. That was my kid lying in there all broken and hooked up to different tubes and that-that wooden stake so large through his chest.

"How?" Pepper stifled a cry and kept Evelyn tightly under her arm.

"A yet undiscovered cause caused a motel on the boarder of Oregon to explode, Rowan was found quite some time after and lost a lot of blood during the wait, he's been unconscious ever since which is why we haven't removed the wood yet. We will if he wakes up soon, and we sincerely hope he will, and know what sort of condition he's in properly but he was highly intoxicated so when we proceed to pop his shoulder back in and remove the wood Rowan will only get gas and air." The doctor concluded before his attention was snatched from inside the recess room when Rowan's injured form started convulsing from lack of air and the severe pain and confusion he must be feeling as he came around quite quickly. The doctor and a few others rushed over to him. He was visibly panicking and when the doctors couldn't calm him, a nurse pushed open one of the swinging doors.

"If one of you would like to be by his side? Rowan is quite disorientated."

"D'you 'wanna go?"

"You go in." Pepper gently pushed against my shoulder with a little smile and hugged Evelyn closer.

I walked in behind the nurse to be greeted with a crackly, wheezing breathing sound escaping through Rowan's chalky blue lips behind his breathing mask. Instantly, when his dazed eyes made contact with the wood sticking out at an abnormal angle only making his chest wheeze more, his eyes snap open wider and began shuffling and groaning at the pain in his shoulder and everywhere else just made it worse.

"Hey there, stranger. Calm down, calm down, I'm here now." I took his uninjured arm and gently clasped his bandaged hand in mine, my other arm looping around him to hold his cheek in my palm.

"S-sorr-ry." I cringed when he chocked out a throat ripping cough.

"Don't apologise, I'm sorry too. Breathe, yeah? You shouldn't waste your breath." I softly said to calm Rowan down a little, then looked up to the doctors, "Are we going to get this thing out or what?"

"Sure are, what do you 'wanna do first, kiddo?" The nurse leaned over the silver metal bar gently looking into Rowan's hazy eyes kindly which I appreciated.

"That." Rowan wheezed out in a struggle motioning down to the wood.

"Okay, I'm going to give you some gas and air, it'll take the edge off the pain. Breath in big deep breaths and hold your dad's hand, okay? Ready?" The nice nurse snapped on her surgical gloves, handed Rowan the gas and air supplier making sure he had it grasped firmly and wedged between his teeth before she applied pressure to the wooden bed post sticking at an awkward angle from Rowan's chest. I was at a loss of what to do except whisper little encouragements, stare in horror and hold his hand through all of his grunts, groans, cries and a few tears of pain that escaped. The nurse, surrounded by several others ready to stem the bleeding once it was out, got a good hold and slowly began to tug upwards. Many loud, pained sob like cries elicted from Rowan muffled around the gas and air tube. Several more cries and grunts later the wood was almost out.

"Just a few more seconds, deep breaths. Good lad, you did it," I hushed, despite the blood flooding everywhere once the nurse fully removed it, the nurses stemmed the blood flow and doing something that probably involved repairing his lung puncture, making Rowan wince even more. "I'm here for you now." I said trying to distract him as he flushed a deathly white.

"I didn't me-mean what I said. I'm r-really sorry." He croaked beginning to drop off still holding my hand.

"I know, tiger. I didn't mean it either, I was having a bad day and you were the next person to walk through my office door. You were right, I'm crap to you. Just like my dad, should of seen it coming to be honest." I sighed.

"No you're n-not. I was angr-angry. I love you, dad."

"Hey, hey, little mister. Your 'gonna have to stay away for a few minuets more, just to clip your shoulder back in, is that alright?" The nurse checked his stats and prompted him to open his eyes again. Rowan frowned but complied anyway.

"Just do i-it."

"More deep breathing from the gas and air, here we go." The nurse unstrapped Rowan's dislocated arm from the padded casing and in one swift move rammed it back in the right position earning a loud cry mixed with a hoarse shout from Rowan.

"Ow, th-that fucking hurt." Rowan sniffled and moaned into me once I leaned over him some more.

"Mr. Stark? We're going to take Rowan to a recovery room now, so if you and your family would like to pop off and grab a coffee or something while we get his room ready and then you can stay with him as long as you like." The nurse smiled as she bustled around bumping up the medication and gently lifting Rowan's still sore arm and stowing a pillow under to cushion it. He grumbled then fell into a much needed sleep.

"Sure thing," I glanced behind me to see Pepper and Evelyn had gone, bending down to whisper to Rowan and kiss his slightly clammy forehead a few times in a row, "See you soon, kiddo. Love 'ya."

My hands raked uselessly through my already messed up hair puffing out breaths I didn't even know I was holding in, walking towards where I guessed Evelyn and Pepper would be, the reception room. I saw Pepper first trying to hold in tears of distress standing beside Evelyn who was sat down on one of the blue plastic chairs stroking her hair soothingly while Evelyn had her head in her hands. Pepper instantly looked up at the sound of the door swinging behind me.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

(Tony POV.)

"Oh my... my baby." Pepper muffled her cry with a hand and an assortment of words, she walked in to Rowan's recovery room trailing behind me in fear as I tried to reassure her with a smile, all the while holding Pepper's hand. I saw Evelyn linger outside for a second, she rushed to my side inside of the recovery room and wrapped her arms around one of my was lightly asleep, every now and then twitching with the sudden rushes of nasty pain he must of felt in result of his injuries.

"Fuckin' hell. What did you do, little brother?" Evelyn semi groaned and semi gasped taking in everything across Rowan's broken timidly stood beside Rowan threading her fingers through his dry hair. She instantly went to grasp his hand, when she did so I winced, as Pepper never took her eyes away from Rowan's discomforted sleeping expression she unknowingly clutched his burnt bandaged knuckles. Rowan hissed and pulled away from her hold desperately.

"Careful, Pep, he's all burnt up." I said not to alarm her further, and sat down on one of the chairs in the room. Surprised when Evelyn came and settled herself on my lap, I kissed the side of her head as she wedged herself in between my shoulder and neck, swinging her legs over mine.

"Ow." Rowan coughed out painfully because of his lungs.

"Why does his voice sound all crackly?" Evelyn whispered, a little scared.

"He punctured his lung, baby, so his lungs aren't working well and that effects his voice. That tube," I nodded to the one coming out from the hospital gown by his neck, "looks after his breathing for him and they're already working on repairing the puncture." I rubbed up and down her arms reassuringly and then wrapped my arms around her waist.

"Mom." Rowan crackled out barely opening his eyes.

"Yeah, it's me, baby. How do you feel?" Pepper tenderly asked putting her hand on one of the only uninjured places, his cheek.

"Like I could," He wrenched out a throat tearing cough, "R-run a maratho-on. I'm really so-sorry."

"Ssh, it's okay, now. No need to apologize."

_... ... ... ... ... ... ..._

"They're fine." I said making Rowan jump and cower from where he was looking dodgily at the burns on his back over his shoulder through the mirror with a disgusted look on his face.

"Did I say you could come in-"

"Cut the defence mechanism, Ro, they're not as bad as you think they are, they still have a lot of healing to do." I walked more into his bedroom.

"I know, but you don't have to live with the constant reminder." He sighed, shrugging his t-shirt back on.

"Not burns, no. But I do have a great big whacking piece of metal I'll probably have until I'm like, what, probably dead. So I kinda get it."

_... ... ... ... ... ... ... ..._

_(Evelyn 17, Uriah 16 & Rowan 15)_

_Tony POV._

"Mr. Stark, this is Miss. Cathy here, are you available to come and pick up your son from Malibu High?" A female's voice sounded down the phone speaker JARVIS was radiating through my workshop just as I set down a wrench.

"Miss, who?" I sighed barely paying attention.

"Miss Cathy. I'm holding your son, Rowan, in reception. Would you be so kind as to pick him up, he's no longer allowed on sight, fixed term exclusion."

"Fixed term exclusion?! You've kicked my kid out of school? What the hell did he do?"

"Well, Mr Stark, Rowan had the courtesy to treating us to a little drunk theatrics. So if you'd manage driving the minimal journey?" She pushed further.

"I'll be there." I grumbled frustrated.

"What the hell were you thinking?! Get in that car." I pushed Rowan, not harshly, towards the car away from his confiscated bottle of vodka currently sitting a few miles away in reception.

"Oh, 'cuummoonnn, I'm not evenn druuunk!"

"Yes, you are. I know what drunk sounds, smells and looks like. This drinking thing you have is turning out of hand into an obsession! Sort it out!"


	37. Chapter 38 : Addicting

_A/N : Here's the proper chapter 37 ! Yay :-) Not too much to say this has a higher rating because of the content and the swearing. _

_But yeah... OO hope you like it and get ready for some god damned fluffy romance next chapter! Your teeth will hurt.. _

_PLEASE REVIEW!_

_Chapter 37 : Addicting._

_{Evelyn 18, Uriah 17 & Rowan 16.} _

_Rowan POV. _

Home alone. Actually, forced to stay at home from Aunty Natasha and Uncle Clint's wedding reception because I was 'out of order'. Whatever, I don't care. So what if I liked drinking and had gotten drunk nearly everyday for the past two weeks because of what happened, well, all the things that had happened to me over the last few years. A shooting at school happened and I was lucky enough to have gotten caught up in it, ending up with a gun to my forehead. Sure, I took slow control with that by speaking to the gun man when his arm was constricting around my throat, his finger putting more pressure onto the trigger. He caved when I hit a soft spot after I got out of him that he had a son. When the gun man dropped the gun with a weight lifting off of my shoulders on my part and let it clatter to the ground spiralled myself into this still exsiting black metaphorical wormhole, I had never seen my life flash before my eyes in so many seconds with pretty much all of my classmates staring at me teary eyed. Including Uriah, we'd never hugged so hard in our lives. And I haven't felt the same or slept normally since.

Now I felt empty. Like I didn't even exist anymore, a part of myself died in that classroom, the good part of me, the kind kid who knows when to say 'stop', who knows when to pause and consider someone else. I like drinking now. It makes it go away for a little while. So, yeah, drinking has been my thing for a good while. People ,*cough* family, really need to calm down about it. Yeah, I have a drink frequently throughout the day, it helps me sleep and cope.

My feet carried me downstairs into dad's liquor cabinate to raid some more booze, shamefully, I'd drank a bottle of red wine already, a bottle of cider and some vodka but the minimal buzz was wearing off so I'd have to drink more to get drunk.

Not three minuets after, I got a text from a friend saying a party would be happening in a half hour. Brill, what couldn't be better than booze and good friends?

... ... ... ... ... ...

Evelyn POV.

"This is a phase, Pepper. I'm telling you. I used to get drunk all the time when I was a teenager. It's no biggie." Dad babbled on carelessly sipping his drink of Scotch as we stood near the bar. I just ordered my first boozy drink of the night and held mine along with mom and dad feeling like quite the adult since I turned eighteen a couple of weeks ago. I felt as if I really could take on the company by my self... With mom's help... And occasional fly-in visits from dad. Eek.

"I suppose he will get over the novelty..." Mom trailed off.

"Oo, Ooh, wait," Dad held up his hand once I gave my thanks to the bartender, "Cheers to the two most important ladies who rule my life!"

"Two of the most?" I questioned with a quirk of one of my perfectly arched brows at my father just as the three of us clinked glasses; Mom's vodka martini, dad's vintage scotch whiskey on the rocks and my mint julep.

"The most important ladies! Clink clink!" Dad rolled his eyes.

"And to Natasha and Clint." Mom added hastily before sipping some of her martini.

The first dance followed after between Aunty Nat and Uncle Clint, well, Mr and Mrs Barton-Romanoff. It was beautiful, the music was slow and the mood lighting was perfect, some people started to join in. I saw Uriah grabbing himself a drink as I stood by myself sipping my Mint Julep after dad dragged off mom for a dance. Uriah slid up the bar towards me and ordered his drink.

"A um... Rekorderlig, please." He turned his attention to me from the bartender, flashing me a smile, I happily returned it and we both leaned into each other to kiss one another's cheek, me flushing scarlet the whole time.

"Oh, whoops! I gave you a big kiss mark right about here!" I giggled like a school girl as I took the opportunity to take his chin within my fingers, tilt his head so that his cheek was more exposed and wiped away the crimson lipstick mark that was left on his peachy skin.

"Thanks... You look-"

"Hot? Amazing? Like a model? Too much red lipstick possibly?"

"All of those except the last one, you look beautiful tonight." He touched his hand to my waist covered by my dress, a hot rushing feeling came back but quickly disappeared when the bar man handed Uriah his drink.

"Well, thank you. You look very sharp, I didn't know you scrubbed up so well... Except you missed a spot." I can't believe I did that or even mentioned it or pointed it out but next thing I knew my hand was dipping down to tuck an escaped bit of crisp white shirt into his trousers again, my nails scratched against the material on his hip bone. I barely felt Uriah shudder against my hand.

"Well, thank you to you too. Seeing as we both look so great, how would you like to dance, Miss. Stark?" Uriah said a little too seductively than I'm used to, resting one of his elbows on the bar top and his chin on his closed fist.

"Oh no, I really can't dance especially after a drink." I laughed off dismissively and turned a little away out of embarrassment just to look around the beautifully set up reception venue.

"Cool." He grinned and took my drink out of my hand and placed it behind him alongside his.

"No, I really can't!" I began to protest in a teasing matter when Uriah starts tugging me in the direction on the dance floor with my hand happily snug in his. It was too nice.

Most of the dance I found uncomfortable, my rouged lips way too temptingly close to Uriah's pinkish parted lips. I swallowed- or tried to swallow the thick lump in my throat and tried to mentally flush away the rush of red in my cheeks.

"Your a good dancer."

"I object to that!" I laughed, cringing at how uncomfortable I sounded.

"What's up? Is this too much or something? 'Cause I like dancing with you." Uriah smirked, looking down at me slightly into my chocolate orbs.

"No, no. Your fine," Oh shit. Word vomit? Is it coming up again?!, "It's... It's um. Oh don't worry."

"What is it?"

"It's nothing I'm being stupid, don't worry about it." I waved him off. But then... his head dipped down to mine more. And more. His arms pulled me flush against him. Uriah kissed my cheek.

"Your not stupid. I've been thinking-"

"Brave."

"-funny girl, I've been thinking. That-oh god- that in that shooting at school I really wanted to say something to you." He swallowed touching the side of his head to the side of mine as his mind must have raced back to what happened that day. And what I felt, surged back.

"What are you saying? Don't say anything that'll make me hate you. Uriah, please." I whispered in his ear, kind of terrified of what he was about to say and what it might do to us or to me, emotionally.

"I wanted to say one thing to you. Inside that classroom, I thought that was it for me. And I had that regret. But now we're older I want to get this off my chest, I've been beating around the bush since we were like what-fifteen?!"

"Just say it. What are you on about?" I said in some unrecognisable tone. I need him with me, by my side to carry on or live or whatever. I'm didn't know what I'd do if he left me.

"Don't run, I love-I love you," He breathed out but gathered more courage and carried on, "I love you, Evelyn."

"Oh. God. I've got to um- I should go." I pulled out of his grasp as quickly as I could, leaving him all alone on the dance floor, and fled for the bathrooms, struggling to keep my breath in regulation.

_... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ..._

_Rowan POV._

Full circle, isn't it?

"How are you not drunk yet?!" A friend of mine broke away from almost molesting this girl I've never seen before in my life to come and drunkenly exclaim at my displeasure of being sober.

"Jesus, what are you doing to her? Most of the things you did just then are probably illegal in most countries. Unlike you, my friend, I am not a light weight. Give me an hour, buddy." I added the last one to myself mostly chucking back yet another shot. Gee, I love free booze.

An hour later, I was pissed up out of my mind and throwing my guts up without any control.

So I magically found myself back at home, fuck knows how I got there, stumbled upstairs and banged around a bit until I found the bathroom.

"JARVIS, update."

"On what, sir? Your intoxication levels, I insist you lower your rates of alcohol consumption, over the past few months it has dramatically increased." JARVIS' irritating voice came from the ceiling I think.

"Fuck you. Who's home? Wha'ssa time?"

"Well the hilarity of it sir, is your parents and sibling are just stepping over the threshold as we speak and the fact you are drinking under the recommended age limit will entail a rather interesting conversation to comfort your pending hangover. It is three-thirty five in the early hours of Saturday morning." JARVIS, you bitch. I could feel the alcohol burn in my stomach that attempted to escape. I heard footsteps as I desperately tried not the throw up again. The door wasn't even fucking locked. Oh no. It was coming up again, sick. The gut wrenching gag that splintered my throat and pierced the environment around me, blurry through my vision because of how drunk I was and the loud splatter of nothing but liquids being ejected from my stomach just made me feel queasier and cringe.

I heard a : "Fucking hell." outside through unfocused ears still through this session of throwing up unstoppably. The door opened roughly releasing a loud sigh into the room that I recognised as dad's.

"Tony, it's fine. Go to bed." Mom's gentler voice came prior to my forehead falling onto the toilet seat to attempt to get cooler.

"Okay, you done?" Mom's hands pulled me a bit more upright but I didn't even attempt to stay in a position, I just wanted to curl up on the floor away from all of this niceness. I didn't deserve that, I'd done it to myself. They should be angry. Shouldn't they?

"Come on, take a sip and then bed." Mom roughly wiped away the sick from my mouth and thrust a glass of water in my view. It was hard to take it. I could hardly see straight and all I could think about was drinking because my stomach had just gotten rid of all the liquids sloshing about in my body.

"What is that?"

"It's water, Rowan, you need to sober up. Do you want some coffee? Tony? Go make some black coffee please?"

"I don't want it, I want a drink? Mom? Get me a drink?" I pushed away the glass wavering in my sight. Was it bad I wanted to drink again? That I craved the thrill of alcohol in my system? At that moment I didn't think it was wrong, only good and the best thing that ever happened.

"Your not having another drink, your going to bed." Dad cut in harshly, though his words were harsh and sounded angry as fuck after a little word from mom he got me to stand hopelessly on my feet and helped me stumble to my room.

"Buuut I wanna driink!" I pulled at the lapels the suit coat he wore as he tried to get me on the bed.

"No more drinks. Rowan lie down before I get even more annoyed. Lie down and I'll make you some coffee."

"I hate coffee. Stupid coffee, who even drinks coffee?! Oh god, I think I'm 'gonna throw up again."

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Evelyn POV.

After changing out of my dress, I wondered down stairs despite the time being four in the morning on a Saturday I yawned my way into the kitchen in a pyjama t-shirt and some comfy sweat pants. I found dad in the kitchen stood by the boiling coffee pot looking insanely angry and fisting his hair.

"Dad?"

"Oh, you okay, sweetheart?" He quickly snapped out of his angry stance and smiled sleepily at me.

"Yeah, are you?"

"I'm fine, honey, why aren't you in bed? It's a little late."

"Just checking if your okay before I head off to bed... Why is he drunk all the time lately?" I muttered idling in the doorway. Dad sighed and shrugged.

"I really can't answer you there. I don't like it either, but we'll have to do something about this new found obsession with drinking he has."

"Okay... Is mom still up?" I asked.

"Uh, yeah. She's in our room. Why?"

"I just want to go and say night. Night, dad. I love you." I went over and kissed his cheek and gave him a tight hug. I felt his lips press against my hair.

"I love you too. Night, have a good sleep. I expect we'll all be having a lie in tomorrow."

I padded up the stairs again to find mom. I was going to tell her about what Uriah said and what happened after he said it. I still couldn't believe it, the boy I found myself in love with for so long just told me he felt the exact same way. And what did I do? Turned on my heel and cried my heart out in the girls bathrooms without an answer he thoroughly deserved after pouring his heart out. I was so scared. My best friend of seventeen years confessed his feelings for me, I'm broken and impure. He's perfect and untainted. I'm a special case. Used and abused. I haven't been in a relationship for so long because of what happened to me two years ago, I knew I would be frigid with him because what happened scared me of intimacy.

What if we got into a relationship and he wanted to go further? I know myself. I would freak out. Probably push him away because I couldn't give him what he wants.

"Mom?" I whispered into the dark master bedroom not seeing any sign of mom in the pitch black oblivion.

"In the bathroom." She called back just as I noticed the door adjacent and the white artificial light filtering through the crack of the door. Just the thought of talking to mom about this made me burst into tears, so I rushed into the bathroom and sat down on the closed toilet seat while mom spun in shock from where she was taking off her make-up in the mirror, not really expecting me to be in this state.

"What happened? Is it your brother?"

"No, no, no. It's not that. Oh god, mom, I don't know what to do?!" I wept, my head in my hands and the tears running down the insides of my wrists.

"Tell me what happened, sweetie? Why don't you know what to do? Has someone hurt you?" Mom crouched down in front of me and rubbed her hands on my shoulders, trying to get me to calm down a little. I took a few deep breaths and spoke.

"It's a boy, he didn't hurt me, mom. The complete opposite!"

"What did he do?" Mom smiled lightly.

"He told me he loved me."

"Oh, you- Is he that bad looking?" Mom wiped away some of my tears with her spare hand that wasn't rubbing my knee.

"Your going to laugh. You know him."

"Why would I laugh? This must be serious if your really upset, love? Oh, is it that boy from the grocery store that likes to try and flirt with you?" Mom properly stood up took my hand and rubbed my back with her other hand and sat me down on the bed.

"I can't believe I'm even-it's um, it's Uriah."

"I did think so, sweetie, so what's the problem? You don't like him?" Mom put her arm around me... Wait... How did she know?! Nobody knew! Nobody was supposed to know! Thinking back Uriah and I danced no where near mom and dad so how did mom know about this?! Oh my god, my face glowed red.

"How-?"

"It's pretty obvious how much Uriah loves you. And it's equally obvious how much you like him back. So honey, I think you should go for it. You can't have done better there." Mom was so great at this kind of thing.

"Really? He's been my friend since like...birth. He's a guy, mom. I'm scared of pushing him away if I can't give him what he wants!"

"Not all guys want sex, sweetheart. Uriah understands because he's been around through all of that toughness over the last few years. So, y'know, it'll happen when you want to and on your own accord. Maybe you should think about talking to him. What did he say to you?" Mom just grinned way to wide and just seemed really happy this was happening.

Thinking about mom made me think about dad, this would kill him wouldn't it? If I was about to get into a relationship with a guy it'd kill dad, he would turn so protective and go all interrogation mood on Uriah probably at some point turning up in his Iron Man suit if I was over a minuet later than the time I promised to be home I tell him or would he just have to find out at the right moment. I'm eighteen, right? I'm almost an adult and I can get into relationships.

"Told me not to run and then said he loved me. So I ran."

"Talk to him, tell him how you feel. If you feel the same. Do you?" Mom knocked my shoulder with hers with a little smile making me grin and wipe away some of the few remaining tears rolling at a slower pace than before across the flushed skin of my cheeks.

"Yeah." I blushed profoundly.

"Well, go and tell him then!"

"M'kay. Thanks, mom." I hugged her tightly around the waist.

"Head off to bed, honey, I love you." She kissed my temple.

"Love you too-"

"Oops, am I interrupting? Is this girl time?" Dad walked in the room huffing and loosening his tie. When he saw mom and I hugging his hands flew up submissively. Mom laughed as I got up off the bed, obviously it looked like I'd been crying because dad's brow quirked with concern.

"Night." I hugged dad and felt his arms lightly fall onto my waist, I think he was mouthing a question to mom asking what was wrong.

"Good night." Both of my parents said one after another, mom chirpy, dad confused and a little irritated because of Rowan being a complete bastard again.

Before I went to sleep I sent Uriah a text even though I knew he probably was asleep or an insomniac because of me.

_**To : : Evelyn. (Sent - 4:13AM)**_

_**I don't know why I ran, because I love you too.**_

_After I pulled my duvet around me and placed my phone on top of my wireless charging pad, it buzzed._

_**To : : Uriah. (Sent - 4 :15AM)**_

_**You scared me back there, I love you too. I really can't stop thinking about you, Evie. Let me see you tomorrow? **_

_**To : : Evelyn. (Sent - 4:17AM)**_

_**Yeah okay, I'll see if I can get away. Rowan's drunk out of his brain so if I can get away then sure thing. **_

_**To : : Uriah. (Sent - 4:19AM)**_

_**Seriously?! Again :-O Kids got an issue. **_

_**To : : Evelyn. (Sent - 4:21AM)**_

_**Your telling me. Anyway, night x**_

_**To : Evelyn.**__** (Sent - 4:23AM)**_

_**Night :-) x**_


	38. Chapter 39 : Selling Yourself

_**WARNING FOR ADULT THEMES / MALE PROSTITUTION & SWEARING. RATED M. DON'T READ IF YOU THINK YOU'LL FIND THIS OFFENSIVE. IT'S ONLY THIS CHAPTER AND THE NEXT THAT INCLUDES THIS NATURE.**_

_**REVIEW!**_

_**A/N DOWN THE BOTTOM.**_

_**Chapter 38 : Selling Yourself.**_

_... ... ..._

"For most normal folks, drinking means conviviality, companionship and colourful imagination. It means release from care, boredom and worry. It is joyous intimacy with friends and a feeling that life is good. But not so with us in those last days of heavy drinking."

_... ... ..._

_Rowan POV. _

Hangovers are something to really hate. They feel as if a drill is slowly pursuing it's way through your whole head in one go and repeats the process over and over. I also had this massive urge to just throw up again everywhere because of this burning feeling in my throat and the uncomfortable sloshing in my stomach whenever I dared to move an inch.

Most people just want to nurse their hangover and once it's gone not look at another bottle of booze for at least a week before they can stomach it again, I was going along with my tolerance of booze. I didn't even expect it to be so high, I don't drink loads. My mouth watered though, at the thought of taking in the booze again. Letting it soak into my system and make me feel good again. That feeling is so fucking good it's unbelievable until you start to come back down from it and your spilling your guts up into the sink, bin, toilet or all down yourself.

Everyone seemed off with me. Looked at me weirdly. Treated me weirdly and kept a bloody good eye on their drinks when I'm buzzing around. So stupid. One of my dumb ass friends tried to take a beer away from me after he started complaining I drank too much and some other crap. I think I had a go at him.

_... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... _

_Evelyn POV._

"Why did we go out? I look like a tramp this morning. So freakin' tired." I moaned all the way down the stairs seeing Dad sprawled out on the couch yawning, half asleep. Mom sat next to him, next to the spot where his head lay on a cushion, typing quickly despite being tired and being ever efficient on her blackberry with one hand and kept her other threading through his hair to keep that tiny half asleep smile on his face.

"Good morning to you, too." Mom chuckled setting down her blackberry and turning her attention to me scraping my hair back into a long, ruffled pony tail.

"Mornin' doll." Dad yawned. Ugh god, the time was half ten in the morning. I'd slept for nearly five hours.

After going into the kitchen and fixing myself a bit to eat I started to remember all of last night. Rowan first of all.

This drinking thing was all well and good for the first few months now though it was getting a little tiresome, a daily an obsessive thing, why? It started off once a month or every few weeks Rowan obviously found some way to smuggle a bottle or two of booze and go to a friends party and get off his face. Since then the amount of times Rowan got drunk increased. It went from once a month to once every fortnight, once every six days, once every five days, every other day and now pretty much every day he could gulp some down. I found it horrific to watch. I wished he would stop drinking just one day where he wasn't mouthing off or getting angry whenever one of us took the bottle a foot out of his reach. I don't want my little brother to get a problem because of something so stupid like alcohol.

I thought I'd better check on the little bugger just incase he hadn't choked and died in a puddle of his own vomit. Nope, out cold in bed. I found him lying on his side deeply asleep.

"Oi. Wake up." I said not even caring how loud I was being. I kept saying it over and over and shoving on Rowan's shoulder until he gave up pretending to be asleep.

"Wha'?!" Rowan croaked out irritated, pulling the pillow from out under him and buried his head under it. There was this strong scent of new whiskey as he wafted the pillow around, new as in just been opened.

"You fucking stink of whiskey," I exclaimed, yanking the pillow away from him, stepping back a little to throw it behind me only to be shocked well... Not shocked really to see a bottle of newly opened whiskey wedged in the space where the headboard of his bed was and the mattress, the exact place where the pillow lay. "Your insane! What are you trying to do?! Drink yourself to death?! Get your stomach pumped?!"

"Whas' your problem? Jesus. Get out my room." Rowan snarled back despite his probable hangover.

"Whatever, Rowan. Drink yourself to death. You've turned into such a prat." With that I stormed out and slammed his bedroom door as hard as I possibly could.

"Family meeting!" I ran down the stairs finding mom and dad again. Dad actually inhaling as much coffee as he possibly could in all of three seconds and mom just walking in from the kitchen with a freshly brewed mug of green tea nestled within her hold. I quickly told them about the whiskey incident.

"I don't know why..." Mom trailed off showing a completely different emotion to me; complete and utter worry. Other than me ; totally pissed.

"'Cause he's my kid, Pepper. I drank, must've passed it down or something," Dad shrugged, "It's a phase. He'll grow out of the novelty of alcohol."

"Tony, you never drank like that! You gave it a rest every now and then! This is looking like it's constant. Think about it, how long has this been going on? A good six-seven months?"

"So what do you want to do?" Mom crossed her arms.

"The logical thing, right? Take it away. Take it away and then he won't do it. Cut off of all Rowan's resources, fuck it, don't let him out of the house unless we have to." I said sternly.

"Honey-"

"Mom, we can't be easy. Rowan is sixteen years old and getting pissed all of the time! It's insane! He's 'gonna be a fucking alcoholic!"

"Yes but it's not going to be easy and hon, he isn't an alcoholic." Dad shook his head pitifully looking like he was trying to convince himself more than mom and I.

"Alright. Well I'm obviously not doing any good. I'm going out." I huffed out.

"Where to?! I thought family meeting?" Dad sighed, hands on his hips.

"Uriah's."

"It's fine, Tony! She's almost eighteen! Have fun, honey!" Mom winked and laughed at my eye roll as I left.

"Hi!" Uriah beamed breathlessly yanking the door out from in between us after I plucked up enough courage to knock on the door. I couldn't help but let myself burst into a full smile.

"Hey."

"Um-what are you doing here? Not that I don't want- I totally want to see you and- Oh god. D'you want to like come in?" Uriah spammed himself to stop his rambling from seeing my eyebrow raise, did I catch him at a bad time?

"Thanks." I chuckled brushing closely past Uriah. I deeply inhaled his Hugo Boss scent radiating off of him.

"How um-how are you?" Uriah smiled more shyly at me after closing the door and starting to walk with me on the way to the kitchen. Tea or coffee was always high on the list of priorities these days.

"Great. How's the free house?" I laughed a little kind of feeling how spacious it was without Uncle Clint lounging around and Aunty Natasha buzzing about the house loading up her guns.

"Loving it, loving it! Mom and dad aren't back for two weeks so I'm having a ball, I'll just have to hope they ave all of that lust out of their systems by the time they come back or I'll go check in at a motel." Uriah's laughed and I felt in the atmosphere he relaxed just a little prior to boiling the kettle. I jumped up onto the table in their open plan kitchen diner and elegantly crossed my legs.

"Awesome. Wish I could have a free house!"

"People driving you insane?" Uriah quickly sorted out the tea I always drank. Fruit tea. Strawberries, raspberries, cranberries and elderflower tea. Because one ; it's probably better for you, and two: it doesn't stain your teeth like coffee or regular tea does.

"Just one person."

"Mhm?" He hummed for me to continue.

"Rowan, drinking himself into oblivion again. I won't bore you with that though." I groaned and tried to smooth out frustration frown lines forming on my forehead.

"Alright. Well, what do you want to talk about?" Uriah handed me a steaming mug.

"I think we should-sorry, have to uh-talk about." I took it adding a thanks and motioning between us as I said the last part.

"Me and you?"

"Us, yes." I nodded a little.

"Us." Uriah sounded deeply confused, I thought.

"You were pretty dead set on that last night." I deadpanned.

"Yeah, no I haven't changed my mind! Yeah, yeah I feel like the same. Sorry, I'm crap at this and it's you-I mean it's not you I'm just actually finally saying all this to you and it's weird. But a good weird." He blurted out quickly as not to hurt my feelings. It was a good weird. Uriah was right.

"That's okay, I feel the same."

"You do? You really do? I don't mean to sound like a complete twat, this is a need to know thing for me. 'Cause I don't want to hide it anymore." Uriah leaned against the kitchen counter opposite me giving us a fair amount of space to unleash everything, if you will.

"Me either. So here's the deal : I'm in love with you, I think." I stared into my tea while I said this, the only thing I cringed at after was the amount of thought in my tone made it sound like uncertainty.

"You think?"

"Sorry. No. I know. I don't want to be scared anymore." Mustering up some more courage, I thought my metaphorical courage bucket ran out a while ago, I looked him in the eye.

"I love you but I don't want to er-scare you? Or go too fast for you." Uriah bit his lip and raked a hand through his naturally beautiful morning hair, dark and tousled to perfection.

"We'll take it as it comes along. You recon it'll be easy?" I asked weakly.

"Nope. But you think I'm not going to help you or be shitty to you, watch out, girl." Uriah said popping the 'p' on 'nope' and tried to make a joke at the end of his sentence, I laughed at him. He'd always been able to make me laugh.

"Is this weird though? We've been friends forever?"

"Practically before the dinosaurs," Uriah gave me a cheeky wink, finally took the silver spoon out of his mug and pointed it at me before starting to talk again, "Your my best friend, Evs and I'm in love with you. It's not like we're related, and anyone that thinks it's fucked up, well stuff 'em."

"Glad you think so because I don't think there is anything wrong with it." I actually felt the heat flood through my body from my feet. I felt like some cartoon character as I glowed red.

"It being?" He cocked his head so fucking hotly.

"Us?"

"What is 'us' are we like, together?" Uriah set his mug behind him, using his well toned arms he pushed away from the counter a little. I frowned back unsure of what he was doing...

"Well, we can skip the 'like' part and be together, dating and what not." I breathed out feeling his blue eyes magnetize towards me and link with my bourbon eyes in this whole new, dare I say, 'together' way.

"Sounds good." I hopped of the table, only to lean back against it. Uriah took my mug out of my hands and placed it to the side of me.

"More than good." The two of us irresistibly leaned into each other, his fingers gently traced shapes on my hands, still making them as his hands trailed up only to trail back down and rest on my waist.

"Better than good." I muttered my nose mere inches away from his. I could feel his breath against my slightly parted lips. Taste coffee on my waiting tongue. Feel the apprehension, adrenaline, nerves and huge urge to just kiss him now but wanting to wait and savour it instead of rushing. My arms reacted in their own way and linked around his neck. My hands locked onto the gorgeous head of hair. Once his lips grazed mine for the first time, I gasped without being able to help it.

"Fucking great." Uriah hummed just before we meshed our lips together. His lips were nothing I'd ever felt before. My lips and his lips. A match. Moving together perfectly synchronized. The kiss was so perfect, passionate and loving the only thing I wanted was him because I loved him. Uriah sucked on my bottom lip for a second or too prior to kissing me again. And again. The need for oxygen became too great for the both of us, my lungs started to burn from the lack of fresh air and I was pretty sure he felt the same because Uriah rested his forehead against mine, smiling. Gently and reassuringly he told me through his smile we finally made it.

(A/N : This is so sappy, I'm sorry!)

_... ... ... ... ... ... ... _

_(A month later.)_

_Tony POV._

Ugh God, I got home from a mission at some ungodly hour. Colombia had experienced some severe issues with a local terrorist, per say, he lived in a small neighbour hood in the far out country. None of the locals spoke a word of English so I spent a while trying to programme JARVIS with an instant translator. This local arse terrorised the local women and children, often raping both. Now you see why I developed a strong distaste towards him. He randomly sprung shootings with the Stark Industries weapons ; also an issue. After that whole charade with an over dramatic Cap, angry Banner and the rest of the merry men I whizzed on home knowing Rowan was unsupervised.

I must have always known Rowan would walk along in my footsteps. Guess I always had that coming. Drinking has always been in the Stark male blood line. My father had done it, ended up killing him. I had done it years ago to excess and played my wits and charm enough to get myself a blue eyed bunny in my bed. But I changed my ways when I came back from Afghanistan.

"JARVIS, how's it going?" I asked the air or the ceiling, as the bots were in their usual process of taking off the remaining pieces of the suit still bound around me.

"All is well, sir, except," JARVIS spoke loudly with an air of concern in his voice, at the same time as an ear splitting smash echoed from somewhere upstairs, "One tiny mishap that would require your immediate attention."

"Talk to me, JARVIS? What's going down in China Town?"

"Mister Rowan's blood pressure is increasingly high, I tried to stop his search for alcohol, sir. But seeing as I am just a disembodied voice, there wasn't an awful lot I could do except lock the house down."

"Thanks." I burst out of the room as soon as the last of the suit left my body and sprinted up the stairs all the while my joints screamed at me to stop.

When I reached the kitchen I was greeted by Rowan. Not the welcome I would have wanted, I walked through all of the shit from the kitchen cupboards that had been launched onto the floor while Rowan tore through the remaining ones. Probably looking for alcohol since we poured all of the liquor down the drain in effort to force Rowan into detoxication. He didn't want to of course, but he didn't see what it was doing to him.

"Rowan, what are you doing?" I walked into the kitchen to find Rowan turning into something monstrous and someone I didn't know my son to be. Who was this person? My son had vanished when that first drop of liquor hit his lips.

Rowan ignored my question, finding an empty whiskey bottle, swearing and growling profoundly when there was nothing in it. He threw it at a great force across the kitchen as if the idea of an empty alcohol bottle disgusted him.

"Drink." Rowan choked out, his voice cracking in desperation and hurt, while I stood with a blank expression watching him tear up my kitchen, smashing and throwing anything he could to be able to find even a drop of alcohol.

"Your not having any more booze." I dead panned watching him smash several champagne flutes onto the marble flooring.

"Why?! DON'T TELL ME WHAT I CAN AND CAN'T HAVE." He thumped against the kitchen island hand with his fists curled in balls of utter rage.

"You are in my house, my rules. Your ass is my property, sunshine."

"YOU DON'T GET IT! I NEED IT NOW!... Just get away from me or get me a drink!" He cried out pushing me away with sweaty palms. Rowan shook where he stood, seemingly not having the strength to over exert himself anymore, he fell back slightly against the counters and slid down to the floor with his knees up to his chest and arms wound around his head in complete hopelessness. I noticed him shaking slightly, but I couldn't be sure if it was because of how angry he was right now.

"You're 'gonna be okay, Rowan. I'm going to fix you." I knelt down in front of him hearing his hoarse cries, I wanted to do something as his father, as the one who pledged to always look after him.

"You can't fix me now."

_... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... _

_(2 Months Later.)_

_Rowan POV._

The alcohol was gone. I couldn't get it anymore. Not like I used to be able to. I had my cards with all my money destroyed and I could feel myself slipping away.

Away from who I used to be. I wasn't sure if I wanted it anymore. But I had to keep drinking, I needed it. It wasn't an option anymore and no one understood.

So I slipped out of the house. Went to a friends party. Took some bottles and left. No one hardly knew I was there.

I was drunk again though. I could feel my body humming with satisfaction after I drank all I needed to to appreciate the buzz. It was amazing. I felt amazing. It was like nothing you could ever know, like no one could hurt you or bring you down from your own personal cloud nine. But once I ran out of my buzz fuel, I went back for more.

And that was where another part of my life began, not to sound cheesy. Or weird. But a few words from one guy and that was it. I got told to go home by a friend before I went to take some booze, I was about to protest when a guy no more than seventeen put his arm around me.

He whispered something in my ear, which even in my drunk state, made my jaw fall to the floor with the accompaniment of his hips pushing something hard, which I bloody well knew what it was, into my thigh.

"No man, I'm not gay or desperate." I shrugged him off, not wanting any of what he wanted from me... Or my mouth.

"I know your not, but your desperate very desperate. You remind me of my father-he's an alcoholic," He paused on the stairs of that friends house, taking his arm from around me to dust some lint from my clothes, his hand travelling more and more south, I threw him right off again, "I can get you booze. You just have to do one little thing for me. Man to man? How's that for a deal? Less than ten minuets and I'll be done."

"I said no." I at least tried to sound stern. I wasn't gay, I was very certain I was straight.

"But man, c'mon, c'mon. Where else are you going to get it? The amount I have will last you a few weeks."

"I'm not into that! I can get it elsewhere. I'm not 'gonna get you off." I shrugged him off again only to have him grab my ass.

"Do you want my free booze?" He kept insisting as we walked up the stairs of this friends house. I wasn't even really aware of my surroundings, just that he was taking me, weirdly by the hand into one of the many bedrooms right on the top floor and shutting the door behind us. I felt trapped and isolated all of a sudden, a part of myself cower away from standing up for myself.

"Yeah..." I whispered hoarsely, feeling somewhere inside my intoxicated self, something was screaming warning signs at me. To get the fuck out of that room and to do it quick. The promised likker (slang for alcohol) kept me in the room through all of the warning flares in my hazed mind. The seventeen year old grabbed me roughly around the neck and forced his lips on mine. As drunk as I was my weak mind didn't think too much about what was going on. All I felt was him putting me into a kneeling position in front of him, fisting my hair.

He unzipped his jeans, the sound of the zipper slicing through the air. Grabbing me again, I was gagged when he thrust himself into my mouth.

Now that sobered me up. Pretty quickly. I knew what was happening soon enough and I couldn't pull away. I could feel my knees blackening with bruises on the bare floorboards. The seventeen year old harshly kept me in place with both hands wound into my hair tightly making my eyes water. Every time I tried to shift or move he jerked me back onto him.

I sold myself out. Like whore walking street corners.

After he was satisfied he left me on the cold, hard, floorboards. Not even bothering to stop my tears from flowing in shock at what I had just done and in some weird hysterical drunken state.

Before I left he gave me two large-ish bottles of vodka.

Then not too long after I drank myself into a further oblivion so disgusted of what I had led myself to do. Why? Because I needed the drink I couldn't get. The drink I now have.

Now in the bitter cold air of the early hours of the morning I just wondered the street. Hot, hot tears of disgust wetting my cheeks not that I bothered to wipe them off. Instead letting my eyelashes gain a multitude of tears and a consolation of red blotches on my puffy cheeks from crying. I didn't know where I was going anymore, being able to tolerate the fiery burn from the vodka that barely existed in my mind disgusted me, however, the leading thought of not drinking anymore made me talk another big gulp of vodka, and another. And about six more. I can't believe I did that, I gave a gay guy a blowjob, bearing in mind I was straight as fuck. I got a guy off to get what I needed.

I was walking towards home, I could even see the lights of the main living room of the mansion on sweeping across the rest of the city magnificently. So beautiful and symbolized something I wasn't really sure of at the moment. I knew that I didn't want to go home through my hazy drunkenness I didn't want to go home and be bombarded with accusations and shouting matches having a go at how drunk I was.

_... ... ... ... ... ... ..._

"Rowan, you okay, man?"

"Uriah?" I asked out drunkenly confused finding myself at Uriah's doorstep leaning on the wall for support.

"Yeah you were making a racket. You alright? Your lookin' a little-drunk aren't you?" Uriah dead panned, a total unemotional voice when he realised I was drunk as fuck.

"I don't know what I've done."

"You better come in, don't want you stumbling the streets." Uriah sighed seeing the hurt and embarrassment in my eyes, pulling me through the doorway lightly and into a 'man hug'. Uriah helped me through to the kitchen and sat me down at the table, turning on the lights as we went along.

"I'm 'gonna make us some coffee, don't argue with me. You need to sober up, my friend." Uriah sighed and yawned. Running his hand through his dark hair every now and then, messy from sleep. He went about making the coffee for us. Muttering something about staying up late now anyway. I sat silently at the table feeling guilty about being here at Uriah's, wondering whether family at home would be wondering where I was. Were they worrying? What about my mom's side of the family up in Washington? They probably hated me. Being worse than dad used to be.

They may never believe me, but, I was so very sorry.

"So what's going on?" Uriah asked tiredly setting down our coffee's in front of us and folded a leg underneath him as he sat down on one of the kitchen diner chairs.

"Just shit. As per." I sighed, taking a massive gulp of the coffee despite the steaming liquid scorching my throat and hitting my alcohol filled stomach.

"Keep drinking that and tell me what happened. Were you at home?" Uriah urged me on.

"Nah, I was at a party. I can't even get it anymore. I went to a party and got some drink there." I began to fill him in shakily. Not really knowing where I was going or about to go in the relay of what I had just done or how far I wanted to go with this story, I guessed I just would go with the flow of the conversation. Though, this was Uriah and Uriah was friends with Evelyn, very good friends actually.

"Alcohol, yeah?," He said to which I nodded. After a few minuets of thoughtful silence and Uriah opening and closing his mouth to talk but closing it again. His last attempt ; he began to talk sighing through his words. "Rowan, are- right I'm just going to come out and ask you. Are you-are things that bad? Are you doing drugs or anything? Or is it just likker for you?"

"What?!"

"I'm not accusing you or think you do drugs! No, no, I totally don't think your like that! But, hell, I've been pressured to smoke some pot more than one time. I was just wondering. I want to help you. We all do, bud." Uriah looked at me sympathetically like I was doing some shameful crime over and over.

"I don't do that, I'm not that-desperate? Desperate 'aint the right word anymore. Have you done pot?"

"Nope. Proud decliner."

"Didn't think you would have." I smirked.

_... ... ... ... ... ... ..._

_Uriah POV. _

After a lot, and I mean a lot, of beating around the bush and convincing to get Rowan to tell me in so many words about what he had done.

There had been at least a half hour of fire round questions from me trying to get blood out of a stone and find out what god damned happened to get him into such a flap. Frequently Rowan just blanked out my questions and I began to piece together the puzzle.

"Oh my god, are you sure?!" I asked a little too shocked which caused Rowan to collapse his head into his hands. Rowan breathed out one shaky breath and nodded.

"I don't need to know the details, go through it, though."

"He came up to me-" Rowan started only to be interrupted.

"How old was-HE?!" I flipped out accidentally, covering my mouth with my hand straight after I shouted out. I thought? No way. Rowan Stark is definitely Tony's Stark's son and they bat for the same team. I was certain. I've been told what the 'Great Tony Stark' was like before he was Iron Man and none of the tales are that pretty. I've also seen just the little babe magnet, if you will, Rowan was and saw just how much he played it up to his advantage. This kid is not gay. Not that I had a problem with people who were gay, I'm not a homophobic, but Rowan in a room of good looking girls you could almost probably mistake him for his dad.

"Jesus fuckin' Christ, Uriah! What were you? Born in a mineshaft?! You can be so dumb sometimes, make me 'wanna tell you why not. Jeez'." Rowan balled up a tea towel and threw it straight at my chest.

"Alright, sorry, sorry. Carry on. But I didn't know you were...?"

"I'm not gay! I was so fucking drunk I would have done a lot of things, so cool it." Rowan cried back exasperated.

"Who was this guy, then? How old? From school?" I pressed my questions further.

"I 'dunno now. At the time I thought he could have been about seventeen. School... Um... No idea, maybe. Probably not though. I didn't recognise him really, just kinda went along with it." Rowan dazed into his speech, as if thinking back. Which to be honest he probably was.

"He didn't like... Take advantage?" I edged around

"No, no, no. He didn't rape me. I'm sure of that, I was really, really drunk-" Rowan started, his face only settling from outrage once I interrupted him.

"Sober now, eh?" I smirked at him sleepily, to which Rowan let out a small, breathy laugh through his nose, closing his eyes briefly.

"A lot more sober. Thanks for the coffee and the sympathy."

"No problem, like I said I wanted to help, even at two in the morning! Your sister will probably still be up, I'll text her shall I?" I asked him, hoping he'd say yes only so he wouldn't go home like this.

"What, no. I'll get going, I'll get murdered anyway." Rowan grumbled, standing up and frustrated raking one hand through his hair.

"Sit the fuck down. I'll text Evs, you can stay at mine tonight." I ordered with a smile.

"I shouldn't. Do you have any idea how crazy they go at me, I'm surprised my dad hasn't strung me up to the ceiling yet." Rowan rolled his eyes and I think we could both see that mental image of Uncle Tony duck taping Rowan to the ceiling.

"They won't! I'll come back with you tomorrow morning and we'll come up with something. Just stay here tonight, man. C'mon. Do you really want to go home and face the wrath of it? Just let them sleep on it and then they won't be as angry." I bargained with him, hoping he'd see sense and just stay here instead of having a shouting match with his dad and waking the whole of Malibu.

"I don't 'wanna impo-"

"Oh shut up! Stay here! I'll cook you breakfast in the morning for your hangover." I interrupted him again.

"I doubt it'll be that bad, since I've sobered up." Rowan sat down again, releasing a huge sigh.

"Staying?"

"Thanks, man. Your saving me from a world of pain." Rowan grinned back at me.

"Anytime, 'lemme just get you some sweatpants and stuff." I began to stand up, placing my empty coffee cup to the side, going through the illuminated house to my bedroom and grab a spare white t-shirt for Rowan and some grey sweat pants, all the while dialling Evelyn's number, my lovely girlfriend... AH! I wedged my phone between my ear and shoulder listening to the persistent ringing.

"Hey stranger."

"Hey babe."

"Babe? That's new, isn't it? Handsome?"

"Oh stop it, I'm blushing," I laughed down the phone, just getting automatically ecstatic whenever I talked to this girl now, not just any girl, she reduced me to a babbling mess sometimes. "Hang about, serious talk now, I have your brother here. He's staying the night, is that alright?"

"Little bugger, what's he done now?" Evelyn groaned down the phone, I could almost see her facial expression and the face-palm that followed.

"I'll tell you tomorrow, he's fine though. Staying here tonight, that okay? I'll bring him back tomorrow."

"Well yeah, sure that's fine. As long as you don't mind. Wait-he's drunk isn't he? And he doesn't want to come home? Are you covering for him?" Evelyn took a guess down the phone.

"No, that's not it. He wanted to sober up and we're chatting so I think I'm about to make some real progress."

"'Kay, if you think your getting into that crazy brain of his go ahead. See you tomorrow, love you." I could hear Evelyn's smile down the phone despite the late hour, her glow could still be sensed down the phone.

"I love you too, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Sorry that took so- you okay?" I walked back to the kitchen, clothes in hand, finding Rowan quietly unleashing a fresh new tsunami of tears.

Without another word from either of us, I pulled him up from his chair and into the most reassuring hug I could have ever given anyone.

"You're 'gonna be alright, Rowan. I swear to god, we are all 'gonna make everything sunshine from now on." I whispered. Nothing weird about the moment, just letting it be filled with reassurance as I realised all of the demons Rowan had even know were in his head.

"It s not okay! I fucked up! I gave a guy a blowjob."

_**A/N : Hey! This chapter is pretty risky! I hope you like it... a little. There's a big M rating on this. Not a lot else to say except! REVIEW!**_


	39. Chapter 39 : Too Many Trips

_A/N ; In Tony Stark's words... I got nothing. _

_Sorry I didn't update yesterday for the purposes I had to finish this one off and I was working until late writing this! You've all caught up with me and I need to get through these chapters quickerrr! Ahhhh! I'm sorry this is like Rowan's 34567890 trip to the hospital by now? Last one, I think._

_Hope you like it, even though I don't! _

_PLEASE REVIEW! x_

_Chapter 39 : One Too Many Trips To The Hospital._

_Tony POV. _

One of those mornings again. One of those mornings where yours truly feels drawn towards the bath tub. This is all influenced by Mrs Pepper Stark herself.

Her nightly ritual baffled me a while ago when she'd disappear from sight for a half an hour to a whole hour per night before we went to bed, so one night I snuck up and saw her lounging in the bath tub with the lights low and her eyes closed. All of those nice scents and lit candles and well, just Pepper in a bath tub with the jacuzzi settings turned on made me wonder the necessities of the added extras to a bath. Baths, I find boring. Showers are quick and usually get me down to my workshop in record time.

Pressing a kiss to Pepper's sleeping face, taking the time to press my lips gently to her exposed freckles and soft morning skin before getting out of bed sluggishly and running myself a bath, hoping the sound of the running water didn't wake Pepper whilst I busied myself around grabbing towels, turning on the heated flooring, tipping a few glugs of bubble bath into the hot water prior to jumping in.

The main point of an early morning bath was the fact that you got to doze off in the warm water. Which was always great until you actually slipped below the water line. When I did doze off again, I began to dream.

_{16 years ago - Malibu General Hospital - NCIU Unit.}_

"'Lo guys, you might not want to get too settled down right now." Our NCIU nurse bustled around Rowan's little incubator writing down on her clipboard and beaming at us as Pepper and I entered the dimmed room.

"Why is something wrong? He was okay only yesterday!" Pepper instantly rushed over to the incubated while I followed hot on her heels with a little two year old Evelyn draped over my chest and shoulder asleep.

"No, no, don't you fret! Don't you fret! He's perfect, still. I was about to say you guys can take him home within the week, or whenever your prepared to."

"Really?! Hey, hey, little man, who's coming home with mommy and daddy?" I grinned at Rowan who was staring at me intently, his big blue eyes happily studying me as I was studying him. His big blue eyes that would surely later turn brown. Pepper put her hand into the now open cot, because Rowan was able to control his body heat by himself, and stroked his cheek.

"How's your other little one taking to being a big sister?" The nurse peered over at Evelyn still sleeping, with adoration written all over her face.

"She still wishes he was a girl, I'm a bit scared she'll push him out the back door when he's old enough. Or accidentally on purpose loose him on a vacation or something." I chuckled back.

"Oh, they all start off with that mood! Give her a chance to hold him and a little responsibility and she'll fall completely in love with him." The chatty nurse waved me off, leaving the room and leaving us with an unnaturally red headed ginger nurse.

"When do you two want to be taking your son home?" She multitasked talking with bundling Rowan up in her arms throughout his squirms and placed him in Pepper's hold, which was a lot easier now that Rowan had all of those irritating but necessary wires taken away because he could eat, regulate his body temperature and breath on his own.

"Can we-could we come back later? Everything's set up at home! Isn't it Tony?"

"Yeah, the cots in our room, baby monitors. You name it, we've done it." I looked hastily between Pepper and the nurse.

"Later is fine, it gives us enough time to do final checks and make sure everything's fine and dandy. We'll miss the little guy around here, he's such a sweetie. He get's as much attention from our staff as the male nurses do around here! But we'll be so glad he's finally going home." The nurse left the room with one big reassuring smile on her face. Leaving Pepper and I to relish in excitement that the family would finally be completed.

"Oh, Tony."

"What, Pepper?" I wondered my hand around her waist, pausing in between rushing around gathering just the last of the things we needed to look after Rowan on our own, including the breathing monitor. The breathing monitor set up in our room both reassured me and terrified me at the same time. Pepper and I wanted Rowan to sleep in our room for the time being just until we felt comfortable with him being able to keep up caring for his own breathing and temperature regulation. It totally daunted me I had to take part time responsibility for my feeble son, he was so tiny and so very fragile. I've already had myself convinced I'll screw up and drop him in the first week he's at home.

"Why am I so scared to bring him home now?" Pepper trembled in my hold.

"I'm scared as well, it's okay in the hospital."

"That's because you know he's being monitored all the time and if anything goes wrong the nurses know about it in less than a second. What if we can't do it?"

"Pepper, that's silly. We can do this, he's our baby. Right? We're the ones who have to look after him. And he's come so far, gaining weight, breathing, reflexes, he's a little trooper. We have temporary nurse JARVIS too. And he's sleeping right by our bed." I tried to soothe both her and myself at the same time. It was going to be fine, it just had to be.

"Just as long as you're going to be there to help, I think we'll just be able to do this." Pepper squeezed me tight, with me squeezing her back just as tight.

"Oh, you know how much I love nigh time feeds."

_... ... ... ... ... ... ... ..._

"Tony, hey. Didn't your mom tell you it's dangerous to sleep in the bath tub, huh?" I awoke to Pepper lightly slapping my cheek.

"She mostly told me to keep my hands out of the cookie jar."

"Stop nicking my bath slots, too!" Pepper mock groaned and started working her fingers in the grooves of my shoulders and neck, earning one hell of a groan from me to egg her on.

"You could always jump in with me."

_... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... _

_Uriah POV._

I was up but still in sweatpants and t-shirt by half ten in the morning, to most people who knew me knew I wasn't an early riser unless I was literally dragged out of bed- When I say dragged out of bed I mean it literally here. When we stay at the Avengers HQ in New Mexico (which is like the best thing ever) there is either Fury, Coulson (A/N : IN MY FIC COULSON IS STILL ALIVE!) or Hill dragging my ass out of bed for some training in what ever they liked to humour themselves with.

I reckoned they were training me up to recruit me as an assassin or spy like my parents or something, it's probably true. Mom didn't like it, neither did dad. A few more occasions where I get pulled away to do some kickboxing, gun practice and muscle work, along with weird little running sessions on a treadmill and a breathing mask, seeing how my aim is, and the impacts of my hits, then I think Mom'll break and go all assassins creed on Fury's ass. Except the encouragements to be a meat fist, I loved staying at the Tower in New Mexico. We didn't usually do anything for the time we were there. The three of us: Evelyn, Rowan and I had a tutor for three hours a day who was a straight-faced, in his mid forties SHIELD agent. That usually ended up with us choking on laughs while we got shouted at for misbehaving and tearing our teacher apart. Rowan was the one to crack him first time around with all of his sarcastic lines and indirect arguments, then couldn't stop laughing at his own funny one liners while we got shouted at, then that set off Evelyn and I.

I usually just got up when I wanted to on the weekends. My school life was almost over, I only had a few months left, and I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life at all! It was quite scary. Thinking about leaving school where I was in control of where I wanted to go, where I wouldn't have any teachers to give me advice or encourage me to work towards the things I enjoyed doing. I wasn't like Evelyn, that girl is going places. She's incredible and has her whole life mapped out in front of her without imperfections, money and power were guaranteed, I however, was not.

Don't get me wrong, I lover her. And I'm finally with her. But sooner or later either of us will probably know she'll be whisper off into the world of business and the industrial empire in some big time capital like Hong Kong, where all of the people like me who have no direction in their lives are shut out and it's all about the industrial empire and who makes the cut.

I know people say life is nothing like a movie, but mine actually feels like a coming of age blockbuster.

Guy likes girl, girl likes guy, guy and girl hide feelings, guy and girl finally admitt it, get together, all seems well between guy and girl, guy has doubts, girl's brother a free-fucking, booze rewarded, messed up kid who goes to the guy for help, guy feels like he has to tell girl, before guy knows it, girl is whisked off to the life of business and money by her famous father the industrialist while boy is left to gaze across the sea longingly.

See. Either a lifetime movie box office hit or a coming of age blockbuster.

"-Thanks for this mind. What I was just saying is really important to me right now."

"Huh? Sorry , I missed that?" I said, making it sound more like a question than anything else, and just all round shocked to have Rowan's voice air it's self out into the open space of the kitchen. From where I stood with my back to him gazing out the window.

"Jesus Christ, I just vented my feelings and you blanked out on me, not even blanking out actually."

"Sorry... I was thinking. I think. What were you saying?" I sighed, going about breakfast.

"Nothing." Rowan sighed.

"How's the head?" I smirked.

"Not too bad actually, I'm glad about last night. Thanks."

"Glad about last night? Have you been thinking about um-what happened?" When Rowan said 'last night' I immediately thought of the, ugh, god. What shall I call it? Male encounter? That's less awkward then saying : "So, Rowan, you thought any more about that blow job you gave to some guy you didn't know last night... When you were drunker than Lindsey Lohan?" ... That was just a cringe worthy thought.

"Yeah, I have, I don't know what to-" Rowan stopped when his phone buzzed, "Oh lord."

"Who is it?"

"Five missed calls and three texts... Hang on. Unknown number message?" Rowan stopped his speech all together once going onto the text from the unknown number. His facial expression just literally stopped.

"What?"

"It's the guy. Fuck-how? He obviously fucking knows me or knows someone who knows me. Oh shit." Rowan just stared at the text.

"Can I ask what it says?" I asked somewhat timidly, setting down some green tea in front of Rowan and a stack of toast to share, I don't do long, strenuous breakfasts.

"Uh, sure. I've told you everything anyway." He just held the phone out to me.

**From : Unknown Number.**

**Sent : 10:45AM.**

**Wanna meet tonight? Again? Cant stop thinking bout u. **

"Oh," I handed the phone back, "Well, aren't you going to delete it?" I frowned when Rowan just locked his phone and stowed it away in his pocket.

"Nah." Rowam said way too casually.

"What does 'nah' mean? What the hell, man. Why aren't you going to delete it? He shouldn't be pestering you like that. He knows you were drunk, didn't he?"

"Quite blatantly."

"And he took advantage of you? So we need to give him the cold shoulder and tell him to bugger off."

"He didn't!"

"Didn't what?"

"Take advantage, I was drunk! I told you that!"

"You were drunk, he wasn't, so he took advantage of that and got you to do something you wouldn't have done while you were sober."

"Your impossible."

"I'm my mother's son, what can I say?"

_... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ..._

_(One Month Later.) _

_Rowan POV. _

A whole month was gone in a hazy blur of drinking, hangovers, parties and throwing up at the end of the night/early hours of the morning.

I became less and less disgusted with what I'd done with Leon - the guy who I'd gotten off at that party for the first time. It was stupidly easy to rent myself out for an hour tops, turn off my emotions and just fuck someone. Then, once that was done, I'd usually get given a bottle of likker which the people who gave me thought that was a sweet deal, and I did too.

Anyway, quick and easy. Just like I said. I had my 'clients' if you will, mind that makes me sound like a prostitute, that would give me what I wanted in reward for what they wanted. So I'd been at it for a month now, double wrapping to make sure some floozy doesn't give me any STD's and making sure to down as much strong tasting likker to dissolve the taste of each guy on my tongue.

"Come on, babe." Some girl, I think she was called Mel, lead me to her parents bed room. She earlier said (while I couldn't care less) that her parents were on a vacation to the South of France, so she and her older brother had the house to herself. Which she used to an advantage as her brother worked nights at a bar.

Once in her room, I kicked her door shut behind me and focused on getting myself all worked up for her as I started unbuttoning and yanking down her trousers and slipping her t-shirt over her head. Nipping and sucking on her neck, earning those rhythmic melodies out of her.

"Get on the bed." I ordered dryly as my hand slipped down to my own trousers. Mel crawled backwards on to her queen sized bed with me soon on top of her smashing lips and teeth together in a rough, uncaring kiss.

She was my tenth time. I felt a lot more pleased when I got to do a few girls, the guys weren't the best. But still, I got what I wanted and so did they.

I wasn't able to finish the bottle of vodka Mel gave me whilst walking home, I still felt extremely sober, but I just couldn't take another gulp. The growing pain was beginning to be too much to bare, every time I seemed to lift the bottle to my lips the pain screamed at me to stop like some symbolical shit.

What was once an uncomfortable twinge starting right within my core just radiated and made me buckle, leaning against a low wall in the darkened street on my way home, I accidentally lost my grasp on the bottle and heard it smash onto the floor and I suddenly didn't care. I didn't care because of the pains racking my body one after another, just getting stronger and not letting up.

It was a pain not like any other pain, I wanted to cry out - but nothing would leave my voice box out of shock and agony.

For a few minuets it just kept getting worse and worse. The ballooning pain leaving me panicked and breathless. Some amount of dizziness and headache over came me, just pounding in my skull, I thought that could be the booze but I'd had less then usual today. I didn't know what was happening and it pained my head and confused me even more to try and work it out.

Pulling my sweater up slightly to reveal and even more confusing swelled, discoloured, fleshy mess had happened across my side. Stupidly, I pressed my fingers to it and cried out in a gasp of pain. I couldn't get over the pain. I just couldn't seem to grasp how much it hurt, had anything hurt this much? I wished it would go, for the sake of my sanity for it to ware off. Please just stop.

Soon enough I couldn't stand and sunk down onto the hard concrete not being able to take many more steps from the pain being too great, and my joints not wanting to flex because the pain had seized them up, clutching my side in a desperate attempt to will the pain away.

An especially intense wave knocked the wind from my lungs and a horrific cry of pain from my throat prior to a heavy tiresome feeling knocking me out on the concrete not five minuets later.

I must have woken up not long after. The sky was still black with odd stars illuminating small parts of the sky. The light from the sky wasn't the only light that woke me, a bright flash light shined through my closed eye lids, willing them open, and a couple of familiar voices stirred me.

"Rowan!" Now that was really familiar...

"Steve, calm down a sec, don't alarm him," A more placid voice called out to me, Steve? "Rowan?"

I groaned feeling myself come around along with the shocking pain stabbing me again and I jerked along with it.

"Ahh! Ow!"

It was nauseating and made my joints ache. I felt really tired and wanted to waver in and out of sleep desperately.

"Rowan, can you hear me? It's Bruce, can you open your eyes for me?" A rough textured but caring hand went to my forehead.

"He's running a fever. Steve, give me the flash light... Thanks. Rowan? Rowan? Wake up for me." Oh, it was Bruce.

Slowly, I opened my eyes finding the scene around my through my disorientated mind. Oh god. The pain racked up again. Steve stood above me and Bruce looking concerned when my confused eyes met his (A/N : I know Steve's a leader, but not being a doctor like Bruce, there isn't a lot he can do to help.) , Bruce was rolling the cuffs of his shirt up around his elbows looking ready for surgery of some kind. Bruce went on with helping me sit up against the wall a little, saying it was okay when I complained about the pain.

"Right. Welcome back. Ignore the light and follow my finger," Bruce went on doing the light reflex thing with the flash light. "Steve, call Tony and Pepper. I don't care what time it is, Rowan needs proper medical attention."

"What's goin' on?" I groaned through the pain, looking both to Steve and Bruce as Bruce set up the cell for Steve and passed it to him.

"I'm not a hundred per cent sure. But your symptoms show your liver is causing you some jip. Can you stand?" Bruce still tugged me in a semi-upwards position.

"God damned, his skin is yellow... and-and the whites of his eyes." Steve pretty much cried out while I swayed and staggered, not from drunkenness, from the pain and sleepiness.

"Ugh, no. Sit. I 'wanna sit." I stood swaying still, in my shoes, feeling sick, itchy, headachy. A feeling of hot stickiness travelled up from my chest, to my throat. Quickly, I turned away to splutter and half throw up dark crimson blood.

"Christ, that's bad, isn't it? Tony's on his way." Steve didn't quite know what to do, just grabbing hold of my other arm to keep me up.

My eyes were nearly rolling into the back of my head, my skin and eyes were apparently yellow, I couldn't understand what was happening to me, my stomach felt bloated and hurt like hell, it hurt too much to walk let alone stand, I felt tired and could have cried from how much I just wanted to sleep. I had blood all down me, the metal and salty taste of it overcoming me, every joint in my body wanted to collapse and give up and my head pounded in my skull topped with the fever I was running just made me want to slip into a coma.

Next thing I knew dad's black, sleek Audi sped down the road and jolted forwards as dad must have slammed on the breaks. He looked furious. Furious with me no less. But as he got closer, this furiosity he wore dropped.

"Tony, we need to get him to the hospital now." Bruce said urgently.

"No, huh-OW! Ah, ow!"

"What's wrong with him?" Dad demanded, putting his arms around me to support me on his own only to have some amount of sticky red blood coughed up on him.

"It could be anything like hepatitis or liver related problems but I'm pretty sure it's his liver, so we need to go." Bruce said rushed.

"Sure? You definitely sure?"

"Yes, Tony! I'm sure. I've seen this before!"

"Alright, Bruce. I don't need you hulking out on me right now."

I must have been a sight for sore eyes. Yellow and spluttering up blood along with everything else. The hospital was full up right now so all we could do was wait, I would have killed for some morphine. I was beyond agony and no one would stop or do anything about it.

All I had was a plastic chair which was really starting to fuck me off, a bundle of tissues Dad wiped at my mouth and chin with for the blood and that was it.

"It's probably a cop out to say sorry, isn't it?"

"Yep." Dad replied to me flatly.

"I don't want this anymore." I gasped through another especially painful wave of pain stabbing through my stomach.

"I know it hurts, buddy, I know it does. Just keep going your doing so well," Dad kept me against him, under his arm while I let out tears of agony against his shirt, rubbing up and down my back which didn't do anything. "Bruce, what did they say?!"

"They're clearing out a bed now. We just have to wait a little while longer, I can't really believe that haven't got one at all in recess." Bruce sighed sitting down opposite Dad and I.

"I'm 'gonna throw up." I groaned with a little panicky in my voice, quickly Dad scrambled for one of those odd looks like cardboard but isn't made out of cardboard sick bowl things while I clamped my hand firmly over my mouth, trying to stop the gagging. Helping me sit up a little and put it right it front of me just in time for some uncontrolled blood, bile and black grit (that weirdly resembled coffee grounds) spluttered everywhere.

"Jesus, we need to get you seen to ASAP. Oh why are they taking so long?! You okay?" Dad wiped my sweaty forehead with the sleeve of his sweatshirt and my mouth with the tissue, staring at me, for once, with utter heartache for me.

"I wasn't-hng," I winced through the pain again, "talking about the pain, " I took another breath, "I don't want the drinking anymore."

"You do? Want to stop-"

"Mister Rowan Stark?" I raised my hand weakly, even though ill, trying to keep the comical side in life when the doctor finally came up to us. My guess is that he must have seen me throw up and just when I look like - which isn't good.

"What the bloody hell took so long?! My son is in serious pain! He needs treatment!" Dad barked at the doctor that came whizzing up seeing me looking like a Simpson and throwing up all over Dad. The doctor had a look of urgency in his eyes.

"I apologize, sincerely, I do. I had no idea, we've been very busy and I've been caught up in theatre. Right, Nurse Collins? Could you fetch a wheel chair please?" The doctor turned to a rushing colleague, grabbing her attention.

"There aren't any left! Doctor Jackman took the last one for a lady in labour! Sorry, I've got to run, I've got cubicles to deal with!" She carried on her jog past with a sympathetic look to me.

"I can walk." I croaked out.

"I'm so sorry about this," The doctor kept apologizing and helped me stand with Dad as I cried out in pain again from the horrific stretching in my stomach sensation of standing up. "I'm sure you've done brilliantly so far, young man. Just a little longer and I'll get some morphine into you and we can have a proper talk."

"Bruce, call Pepper." I tossed Bruce my phone so he could call Pepper who was doing the late tonight, so she'd still be at the office.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Tony POV.

We finally got to a hospital room and straight away Rowan was in a bed, in a hospital gown hooked up with an IV getting morphine into his body to reduce the swelling of the inflammation of his liver I'd just been told about and that was the thing causing so much pain.

"Doctor, is he going to be okay?" I asked the Doctor quietly. Being careful not to disturb Rowan's sleep as my fingertips lightly traced over the pale yellow flesh along his cheek bones, willing him to be okay.

"It's acute hepititus, he'll be just fine with some antibiotics to stem the swelling."

"How much damage is there?"

"To his liver? Enough to mean young Rowan here shouldn't be drinking from now on." The doctor said tensely as he answered, checking Rowan's stats once more. The way he said it both made ms internally cringe and sigh. Sighing because we could knock this on the head and cut the drinking out, and cringe because this was a lot more serious that we all first thought.

"This makes him- sorry. I mean is he addicted?" My eyebrows could have been touching the ceiling and the denial shattered away.

"Yes, Rowan's an alcoholic. Quite an obsessive one by the looks of it."

I slumped back in my chair letting out one big breath. My mind whizzing through all sorts. Had I been blocking this out the entire time? That Rowan now obtained this title of an alcoholic. Why hadn't I known? I came back into relative time when the doctor prepared to leave.

"What can we do? Treatment? When we go home?"

"When Rowan wakes up properly and your wife is here we can talk together, I'm a fully qualified specialist, and work out what we can do to fully get Rowan away from drinking. As for treatment, it's just a case of anti-biotics and morphine to repair the infection and lessen the pain... If it's any consolation, I know how you feel." He said softly.

"I doubt that." I sighed tiredly.

"Two years ago my son was in Rowan's place and I was in yours."

"What did you do?" I asked hopefully. Part of me hoping he wasn't going to say his son had died or anything.

"My wife and I sent him to a wonderful rehabilitation centre and now he works in the very same place to aid people who need it most. Alcoholism isn't a disease, Mr Stark, it's a reaction to an underlying problem." He said just as he swung the door behind him.


	40. Chapter 40 : Stuck In A Rut

A/N ; Update tiimeee! Right so next update time will be next Tuesday or Wednesday!

FEEDBACK AND PROMPTS PLEASE! REEVVIIEEWW!

Chapter 40 : Stuck In A Rut.

Tony POV.

I awoke god knows when, there wasn't a clock anywhere I could see and it was still dark outside. The uncomfortable slouched and hunched position I was sat in didn't aid me to sleep. However I noticed someone placed a pillow behind my head on the headrest of the pain afflicting, barely cushioned hospital chair I must've dozed off in.

What started to stir besides me were the sounds of weak, sleepy coughing, fidgeting and hissing from the pain no less. Before I fully came aware again though I noticed Pepper's bag across from me on the other side of Rowan's bed.

"Hi, mom." I heard Rowan say croakily as the door clicked open and close behind me.

"Hey, sweetie. Doctor said I could get you a drink, how you feeling?" Pepper whispered.

"Bit better, everything hurts still." Rowan rasped out.

"Oh, you're awake!" Pepper said a bit louder, and happier when Rowan and her noticed I was awake and stretching to rub the harsh kinks out of my back. "When did I fall asleep?" I asked as Pepper bent down to peck me on the lips.

"Ages ago." Rowan said, closing his eyes again, huffing and struggling to get into a comfortable position.

"Ah, sorry, kiddo. You should have kicked me awake." Now more sat up I looked over Rowan. He looked tired and sported a pale yellow complexion with whitey-yellow glassy sheens of the whites of his eyes. There was something so fragile and haggard looking about him lying feebly on the bed. My eyes travelled down to the white medical patch on the back of Rowan's hand that the IV line was linked through.

"I couldn't be assed and you were snoring a bit."

"Sorry. How are you now? The doctor said he'd be coming back soon to talk." I offered a tiny smile.

"I don't want to talk. I want to go home." Rowan sighed weakly.

"Come on, Rowan, don't be like that. It's best to talk about it so we can get somewhere and help you." Pepper perched on the edge of the bed and stroked Rowan's cheek gently.

"Yeah but I don't want to so leave it."

My response was trying to rid the lines from my forehead.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

"Hello, Rowan. How are you feeling this afternoon?" The doctor walked into the room offering a chirpy smile that didn't seem to touch the atmosphere at all. As soon as the doctor entered the room, Pepper placed down her Vogue magazine on the side of Rowan's bed.

"Fine, side hurts. But apart from that, fine. Can I go home now?"

"Not quite yet, young man. We need to have a little consultation and one more blood test, then we'll see where you are." The doctor chuckled at Rowan's rushed nature and perched on the end of the bed, setting down all the paperwork and looked Rowan over for a minuet or two. Rowan looked at me with a bothered look which I knew was the 'don't make me have another blood test because I will probably pass out or throw up on you... Again.'

"Consultation?" Rowan questioned after another moment of looking puzzled.

"Yes, I do want to talk to you."

"About?"

"Your alcohol addiction." The doctor pointed out in such a way I internally winced.

"I'm not addicted." Rowan tried to point out as if it were the most blatant point in the world.

"Rowan, you need to listen to what the doctor has to say." Pepper whispered wrapping her arm around his shoulders.

"No, no way. I'm not addicted!" Rowan rose his voice a little more.

"Calm down a minuet." I hushed from Rowan's other side.

"What? No-but I can't- like. I'm not- why would I?" Rowan muttered in jerky sentences, looking down at his hands as we all pretty much noticed the build of moisture in his eyes.

"It's hard, I know. It's the harsh truth, but the truth no less. The first step is realising that your an alcoholic and accepting it." The doctor's tone softened.

"So what can we do?" Pepper asked Dr. Crowe, I remembered his name to be, worry taking over her features just as her hand stroked through Rowan's hair.

"A multitude of things. Initially, however, it's up to Rowan. Either way though it's highly advisable to stop drinking immediately." Dr. Crowe began to flip through documents pinned onto his clipboard.

"Immediately?" My voice involuntarily sprang out.

"Yes, it's too risky otherwise. There are two most likely outcomes : liver syrosis and death."

"That's extreme..." I breathed out, rubbing down Rowan's weak arm.

"I know, I'm sorry."

"I don't think I'll be able to stop." Rowan muttered out suddenly when no one really expected him to talk.

"You will, with the right amount of support, you can give this up. The detoxication process can be long, gruelling and it's anything but pretty. You can choose to do it at home. Which a lot of people do, because of the home comforts and what not. There is also the rehabilitation route, where you can go to a centre and detox under medical supervision."

"What's the detox like?" Rowan asked.

"You will experience withdrawal symptoms."

"I thought you just got withdrawal if your a druggie?" Rowan commented a little sceptically.

"No that isn't so. Alcoholics experience withdrawal too. There are things like the shakes, the sweats-"

"Oh, I think I've had the shaking before." I noticed Rowan looked at neither Pepper or myself through out his talking.

"That's the most common one. You might feel jumpy, nervous or anxious, irritable, rapid changes in your emotions. You could go from feeling alright to feeling really down and a little depressed. Some insomnia (difficulty sleeping) and your sleeping patterns should return to normal within a month while your body adjusts. Also, being very tired won't help here. That's just the physcological symptoms."

"What are the physical ones?" I questioned, feeling a lot more symptoms and things I will later see affect my kid. It already ached internally. If I could take this from him, I would.

"Headaches, sweating and shaking like I've already said, nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, paleness, rapid heart rate, dilated pupils and clammy skin."

"That's a lot." Rowan rubbed his eyes tiredly with his IV'd arm, grimacing at it as he did so.

"It does sound like a lot. You may not experience all of these, but that's just a brief outline."

"Okay." Rowan sighed out.

"How long does it usually last for?" Pepper piped up, with some quakiness in her voice which she fought to control.

"Up to a week, sometimes leading up to two weeks. For you, we won't give any medication as yet. Do you have a family doctor?" The doctor looked from Pepper and I, Pepper glanced at me with a knowing look and I nodded. We silently agreed on Bruce.

"Yes, we do. He's close so we can contact him and have regular visits if needed."

"Great, so we won't give you any prescriptions as yet, I would let your doctor assess you when you progress into withdrawal, if your condition get worse he or she can prescribe you some Chlordiazepoxide to ward off some of the symptoms."

"What now then? When I go home?" Rowan asked.

"I advise you to get through the withdrawal. Do not under an circumstance drink," He spoke directly to Rowan and then to Pepper and I with a strict gaze, "It will be hard for all of you, Rowan especially and I know how it feels to see your child in that much pain and distress and the only thing you can and have to do is let them get through it for their own good. Rowan must be given a humongous amount of support to get through the next week or so. Your real work starts now : get rid of all alcohol in the house. After that just keep him out of temptations way."

"We did get rid of all the drink in the house." I said bluntly, slowly turning my head to look at Rowan who, by the looks of it, avoided my eyes.

"Hope you don't mind me asking you this, but how did you get the huge amounts of alcohol that you drank then, Rowan?"

"I-I. I didn't."

"Yes, you did. Your liver scans show extensive damage."

"I don't want to say. That's why I got drunk, 'cause I couldn't think about it sober."

"I'll come back later." The doctor said, standing up and shooting Rowan with a look.

"Thank you, doctor."

"I'll see you before your discharged, Rowan. Bye."

"What's going on?" I quizzed him as soon as all three of us were plunged into an odd kind of silence after we received all of the information we could have possibly absorbed. Which left me thinking, guaranteed Pepper was too, how was Rowan getting the booze that he was? And why was he so determined not to say?

"What?"

"Tony, give him a minuet-" Pepper cut in with her assertive glare.

"Why didn't you want to say where you were getting the drink from? Because we all know that it wasn't from home." I stated, probably in slightly the wrong tone, earning one hell of a look. A look I passed down to both of my kids, so it was a little shock when I recieved my outraged and irritated expression displayed by someone else. Only Rowan's look was a little more tired.

"Oh, here it comes. The blame and distrust."

"Don't be all petty and feel sorry for yourself. I would like to know, as your father, why you wouldn't say!" At first my voice rose, I instantly regretted that and sucked in a breath to calm myself slightly.

"Now isn't the time." Pepper said ever calmly, pinching the bridge of her nose and glaring at me, her hand gently squeezing Rowan's shoulder.

"Yes! I will feel sorry for myself! I've fucked up. I've done this- I don't want to do this right now. I think you should both go." Rowan raised his voice as much as he could, but cleared it when his voice started to crackle from the strain.

"Baby, you sure?" Pepper faced her back to me and sat back down on the bed, paying all of her attention to Rowan.

"Yeah, it's fine mom. It's been a long day." Rowan accepted the hug from Pepper and didn't spare me another glance.

"Rest. I'll see you tomorrow. I love you."

_... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ..._

_Rowan POV._

I slept for hours. Hours after I tried to fully digest the news I'd gotten. Now thinking about it all, I can't drink again. If I do I could die and it's all my fault. Dad was right, I do feel sorry for myself now that I'm fully sober now, why? Why did I do that to myself? Drinking and drinking. I could have drank so much that I my stomach could've been pumped.

I thought it was so great. All of it, the parties, drinking and the other stuff. What I put myself up to do. Having just random meaningless sex with guys and girls. My first time was with a guy. What does that make me? A prostitute? Easy? A get around? Worthless? Gay? I've never thought about it properly, I just did it without thinking and without liking it. Now being sober and thinking about it, the little flashbacks I had of it was enough to make me sick.

I looked around to see the door of my hospital room opening for the forty-fifth time today, no doubt coming back to urge me for more details. Why are doctors so nosy? But at the same time I felt as if I needed to tell him, I'd told Uriah, but he's a kid just like me so it was different.

"Hiya, Rowan. One of the last visits you'll be getting from me today. Now that your parents are gone-" He started when I interrupted him.

"You 'wanna poke and prod me for answers?" I raised a questioning eyebrow to him, sitting up and rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

"What can I say? I'm concerned. I want to help you, if there's anything that's going to put you in temptations way whilst your working on giving it up... You do still want to give it up?" His uncertain question came, that was the one I was certain could pop up at some time.

"Yeah. I do."

"Then, how were you getting it?" He pushed further.

"It's bad." I complained, feeling uneasy and a little flushed.

"I don't care, I'm not here to judge you." My doctors voice was so assuring and tempting me to give in. I wanted to tell him, if I didn't, who else could tell me what to do. That's all I really wanted. Teenagers want more than anything advice on what to do sometimes, even though we look like it's gone in one ear and come out the other and totally ignored it. I want to be told , "Hey, if you do this... You'll be okay again".

"But I judge me and I did it. I'm ashamed of it, and if my parents knew, they'd hate me."

"How do you know that?" Oh god, there was no budging him now.

"Because I sold..." I trailed off after bursting into the sentence.

"Sold? What, sold what? Drugs?" He asked me curiously.

"No. Myself."

"Yourself? Your sexually active?" Ugh. Adults and their technical words - no medical words. 'Sexually Active' - Ugh, god.

"Oh, please. I'm nearly seventeen. And what does 'sexually active' mean anyway? Do I de-activate one day or something?"

"It's just a term, that's irrelevant. So can you tell me how long this has been happening?" He pressed on.

"About a month or two. Maybe more or maybe less. I don't really know." I dismissed him.

"And how did this come about?"

"What?" Play dumb, play dumb. Then he might leave me alone.

"How did you come to doing it? When was the first time?" He looked me straight in the eye and I felt a part of myself wanting to cower into a cave somewhere. A very dark cave.

"At a party, some guy came up to me and promised me some drink." I answered him after a few dozen seconds of thinking about it.

"And what happened?"

"I gave him a blowjob and then another time I had sex with him." When I answered him straight away I noticed his brow quirked up.

"Just like that?" He regained a little control.

"Just like that. I'm straight, by the way." I chuckled a little emotionlessly.

"Your sure?"

"Yes, I've had sex with girls as well, your not my dad. And I preferred that a hell of a lot more." I groaned.

"You could be bisexual." He suggested.

"I'm not. Trust me there, I hated doing the guys so I'd get even more drunk afterwards."

"Okay, you went along with it and that was the first time? Did he persuade you?"

"I was so drunk I probably would've done anything. So, yeah. I went along with it at the mention of what he'd give me, but it only really started to click when it was too late really." I said a bit too grimly for my own liking.

"What were you doing the night you got emitted into hospital?"

"At some girl's house, fucked her and then got some whiskey, left." That seemed a lifetime ago right now.

"You said you judge yourself? Everybody makes mistakes, you just have to realise what mistake you made and hug the cactus so to speak." He said, rolling his eyes and putting in air quotation marks with his hands when he said 'hug the cactus'.

"Hug the cactus?" I actually cracked a smile there.

"Yes, hug the cactus. It's a phrase. You have to hug the ugly part of your soul and accept your sins to be forgiven and allow yourself a second chance. Why do you judge yourself?"

"Looking back I don't know why I was letting myself do it and become worthless. Oh god." I coughed out, trying to tamp down the overwhelming sadness and urge to drink and get very drunk. I felt a large hand settle on my shoulder which felt comforting for a second before mom walked into the room and the two of us turned towards the door. Myself, wearing an almost red eyed look with utter shame and embarrassment and the doctor, his eyes full of worry for me.

"I'm going to stand outside and talk to your mom a second-"

"No, don't!" I pleaded desperately. Feeling a little betrayed for I had just spilled my confessions all over the metaphorical table and now he was going to tell my mom...

"I have to, Rowan. I'm sorry." With that he walked from the room.

"Knob 'ead." I muttered when the door was shut.

Mom came in not five minuets later and I swear I couldn't even look her in the eye, or even at her. I remained a coward and stared down. Suddenly fiddling with my hands in my lap seemed like such a energy consuming activity. The thought of talking about this with my mom, let alone my dad, filled me with dread.

"Why didn't you tell me, sweetheart?" I only shrugged, unable to say anything for three reasons : the huge amount of humility, the new emotion of betrayal that I hadn't told her and the almost unbearable choking feeling going on in my throat.

"You should have said if things were getting that bad."

"They were bad a while ago." I tried to claim back some stable emotion when my sentence came out with a half strangled sob.

"I know. I haven't handled this well. We should have gotten help earlier." Mom put her hand soothingly on my back.

"Don't blame yourself, mom. I wouldn't have accepted it. I-I drank to block out what I was d-doing." I rubbed my eyes out of frustration of talking about it to two people in the space of ten minuets.

"Oh, honey. I am so sorry you feel like this. We'll get you better." She placed her hand on my cheek and tilted my head up to meet her eyes, I felt sick looking at her slightly red eyes.

"Are you going to tell dad?" I bit my lip.

"About-""About the sex thing." I said reluctantly.

"He's your father, he needs to know. No more hidden things, we're going to look after you properly." She said sitting in front of me.

"Tell him I'm sorry then. If it's any constellation I feel disgusting for what I've done. Evelyn will never speak to me again." A tear or two let itself free of my tear ducts at the thought of dad knowing and his many possible responses and Evelyn hating me for doing that after what happened to her.

"She will, I'll talk to them both. They won't press you for details or bring it up if you don't want them to." Mom wiped those tears away and wrapped me up in a needed hug.

"Thanks. I'm sorry, mom. I'm real sorry. I've been a prick."

"Watch your language, young man." Mom laughed trying to lighten the mood.

_... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... _

_Pepper POV. _

Words were useless right now. I think we had the shove we needed, the wake-up call to do something about Rowan's addiction. We've been naive, buried our heads in the sand and blocked things out. But now I knew he had been putting himself out at risk, especially after what happened to Evelyn, and donating himself and his body for amounts of time was sickening my to my core. I hadn't known that he was suffering and tormenting himself to feed his habit. I hadn't know he was even... Like... Y'know. I stayed with him for a few hours, comforting and trying to get him to talk about it even though he seemed reluctant, I could imagine. Even though I've had kids, I would surely flush red in front of my mother if the matter of sex with Tony was ever brought up and we're married for Christ's sake!

I left Rowan telling him to get some rest and sleep before he was discharged tomorrow and our real work began and the medication wore off.

When I got home I asked JARVIS where Tony was and JARVIS let me know he was down in the workshop as per usual. I reached the bottom of the stairs and punched in the code.

"Tony?" I called out to the empty workplace, I thought for a moment that JARVIS was malfunctioning. That one second thought was shattered when Tony called up from what sounded like underneath the cement flooring.

"Down here, Pep!" "Oh... Where are you?!" I said baffled and confused as to where Tony was. He couldn't possibly be underground, this is the only basement like thing we had.

"Go to the suits, by the platform!" Tony told me with a laugh in his voice.

"Hang on. Why do we have stairs... And a basement I've never seen before? What-is-this?!" I stopped dead on the set of stairs seeing Tony in this circular room underneath the Iron Man suits upstairs, laughing slightly.

"The boys and I did a little re-modelling." He smirked. I looked around, Tony was sat in a rather regal looking brown-almost tan leather arm chair with brass circular studding around the lining of the expensive looking arm chair, it's details also featured mahogany wood feet. The chair was positioned nearest me against a large feature wall of wine chillers, all stocked with white, red and roseé wines and all other wines in between, the chillers cast a greenish-white radiated glint. Tony's chair was sat in front of a projector screen (and the projector sat beside him) and in between that was a large circular silver plate covering the almost the entire floor space. Tony was sipping on a glass of coke and ice and looking to the projector screen.

"-I'm Howard Stark, and everything you will need for the future can be found right here."

My heart sunk in my chest, hearing the name and 'I'm' in the same sentence. The sound of flickering pages from Tony's part made me look over, he was going through a black leather bound and scribbling on a piece of paper.

"What's this?" I asked a little rigidly.

"Just working on a few calculations, one's been bugging me all day." He waved me over.

"What's this footage?" I grinned a little at the gesture. I loved now that Tony didn't shy from me with silly excuses that another car needed to be oiled or he needed to update JARVIS' software, Tony spoke with me about it now. Not enthusiastic chattering, just talk. Which was nice, only took more than a decade, huh?

"Hi." I whispered against his lips when he tugged me down by my hand to snuggle into his lap. Tony tossed down his pencil and the book he was using and wrapped one hand around my waist, trailing his fingers up and down my side, all the way up to underneath my arm - his fingers wondering a little on the way. His other wrapped around the spot above my knees, caressing the bare skin there for he'd pushed up my pencil skirt. I wrapped an arm around his neck, lay my head on his shoulder and ran my thumb along his showing collar bone. "Hello." I shuddered when I felt Tony's teeth delicately graze the shell of my ear.

"Your too good at this, Stark."

"At what, Potts?" Tony said teasingly.

"Making me feel better. Your just too good." I sighed into his neck.

"I have to live up to my reputation. So why is my natural charm de-stressing you?" I felt Tony's facial hair scratch lightly against my forehead.

"Mm. I need to talk to you about that."

"Everything's A okay, isn't it?" He froze a little.

"It's about Rowan. He's fine, he's fine. The doctor managed to crack him open earlier and found out how he was getting his drink."

"It was dealing, wasn't it? My kid's been snorting crack and we didn't even know-" Tony exploded in one big angry huff, I felt the air leave his chest in a gush.

"It wasn't that, he's clean on that part." I sat up on Tony's lap and placed a hand on his chest, next to the arc reactor, to reassure him to calm down and not to rip out of this room and tear Rowan's room apart to find some secret substances. I sat up so I could see his face, Tony rolled his head towards me and I could tell that he was chomping down on the inside of his cheek.

"What is it then?"

"Oh, Tony. It's horrible, he's been having sex with people so he can it in exchange!" I cried again, the hot tears starting to trail downwards. Tony heaved a heavy sigh from his chest. Looking at me with pitiful eyes with a mixture of hurt and sorry.

"I'm not entirely shocked with the way he's been acting." He wiped away tears on my cheeks.

"He wanted me to tell you that he's sorry. He feels really horrible about it, Tony. My poor baby felt like he had to do that! He didn't feel like he could come to you or me!" I sniffled heartbrokenly.

"He's been prostituting himself." Tony said like more of a statement.

"Yes." I answered even though he didn't ask a question.

"What happens now then?"

"Tomorrow Rowan comes home and we do everything we can to get him through the withdrawal."


	41. Chapter 41 : The Razor's Edge

_A/N : Hey, here's the new chapter. _

**_PLEASE REVIEW FOR MORE AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK, THANKS!_**

_Chapter 41 : The Razor's Edge._

_Rowan POV. _

I was waiting on my hospital bed for mom and dad to come and pick me up with Happy. Today so far, I'd been off of my IV for about an hour and a half and I could already feel the comings of some symptoms that were bound to get a thousand times worse. Already, I could feel a headache gradually developing right behind my forehead but I'm sure it will full out blast painfully later.

The nurse kept flying in every now and then, taking my temperature and bringing in bottles of water for me to drink so I didn't get dehydrated, as of yet I've only drank one and a half bottles of water. I could already feel sloshiness in my stomach and wasn't too sure if I felt nauseous, although either way I probably wouldn't escape throwing up multiple times. It already sucked and the withdrawal was barely starting.

"Right, sugar. Your all set to go." The nurses thick Tennessee accent drew my attention. She got out her pen light and shined the blaring light straight into my eyes once she pulled my chin up. The light wasn't appreciated by my growing headache.

"Your pupils are a little dilated, you're running a low-ish fever and you're a little pale. How is everything else, pumpkin?"

"Starting to get a headache and I think the nausea is coming on." I answered a little tiredly just as the doctor came in too, to discharge me I guessed.

"Well, you get yourself home and catch yourself a couple' a z's." She smiled at me nicely and patted my shoulder, turning around and leaving my hospital room. Stepping aside, she let my doctor enter the room with mom and dad.

"Can I go now?"

"Uhuh, we can get going now, kiddo." Dad picked up my stuff and put his hand in between my shoulder blades as I slowly got off the bed, trying now to aggravate any sickness or dizzy spells that might occur. I let myself lean into him and more than happy to know my contact was accepted and he didn't hate me for what mom had to tell him last night.

"Yeah, you can go home now. I've discharged you. Good luck, young man. I don't want to see you in my A&E again," He clapped my shoulder lazily, trying not to jostle me too much. I somehow managed a dull grin, he turned to mom and dad, "Keep him hydrated even if it doesn't stay down, make sure he tries to eat a little even if he hasn't got any appetite. Of course, keep him sober and if you have any concerns that the symptoms he's getting aren't quite normal or they seem to worsen without letting up you can contact me or your GP."

_... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... _

_Pepper POV. (Haven't done it in a while!) _

Not too long after coming home Rowan was able to crash out on the couch for a while and seemed to zone in and out of sleep. I guessed that was the medication from the IV from the past couple of days zonking him out. Tony and I hovered without being able to help it, I just felt this huge surge of guilt and urge to look after him the best I could so it may make this a little easier for him. Though I knew this was just the beginning and it would get a whole lot worse. Tony and I had booked a few weeks from work, I'm not sure why Tony booked a couple of weeks off because he seemed less and less committed to this company and more committed to his suits.

Less than an hour later after Tony and I noticed that Rowan was waking up and had grown more pale, sweaty and shaky than before.

"Alright, bubs?" Tony bent down to move the blanket out of the way of Rowan's face slightly from where he had it bundled up in front of himself.

"What?"

"Are you alright? D'you want to sit up? You 'wanna drink or something to eat?" Tony said a little clearer to communicate through Rowan's obviously fuzzy state.

"No. Feel sick." Rowan mumbled, eyeing the small glass of water I was bringing over.

"We have to make you drink, I'm sorry, kid." Tony helped him sit up as I said this, wiping his sleeve across Rowan's slightly sweaty forehead.

An hour after having watched Rowan drink most of that glass of water I came downstairs to the sound of broken retching and jogged down the rest of the stairs, rushed into the kitchen to the source of the noise. Rowan gushed out a seem less endless amount of water and bile, which I instantly felt bad for making him drink the water (even though the doctor said we had to keep him hydrated) as he hunched over the sink and turned the tap on.

"Sorry, I didn't think I could make it to the bathroom." He said quietly and sheepishly.

"Don't you worry, it's fine. Go and chill out." I lightly hugged him around the shoulders feeling just how weak and shaky he felt.

_... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ..._

_Day 3 of Withdrawal._

_Pepper POV._

It was the third day since Rowan had come home from the hospital and the withdrawal was starting to hit him hard. The shaking had subtly became more noticeable sometime at the start of the second day and somewhat had gotten worse. Once he noticed it got worse and the water shook almost violently within his glass, shot him down into the 'down in the dumps' emotion he'd taken on. I could see him now, his shoulders tremoring in his sleep along with the sweating, as if he was under an impossibly hot light bulb, struggling to sleep. Talking about sleep, the insomnia had started pretty much straight away, which sucked for him. It seemed like he was up all hours of the day and night. The headache was ever existing, but gathering information from a grouchy Rowan told me it hadn't gotten better nor worse. Even worse, the nausea seemed constant and the vomiting appeared at least every half an hour to every forty five minuets. One of the things that worried me the most was all kinds of consumption. Drinking was frequent. I usually got him a small glass every hour only for it to come back up and the process to repeated all over again.

This was horrible to watch, the agonizing traits of alcohol withdrawal.

_... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... _

_Day 4 of Withdrawal. _

Day four and the insomnia was staring to take it's toll on Rowan, he looked awful. Bags under his eyes and extremely pale, almost to the point where he looked like a corpse. He looked thin and bony and shook, looking like he could support himself in any position, standing or sitting. Dangerously so. And we were very concerned. So far the moods were unpredictable. They would go from feeling okay for a half an hour or so and then completely pissed off and emotional, ready to take the cowards way out.

Around nine o'clock at night Rowan woke up against Tony's shoulder from his ten minuet nap that was constantly unsettling him, trying to get a decent position, muttering and sighing and then finally leaning against Tony's shoulder as he worked on his tablet quietly talking with me. I smile at Tony as he absentmindedly pulled him in closer and kiss Rowan's hair, wrapping one arm around his shoulders and holding the tablet in his two hands around the extra body. When Rowan became more awake again he groaned against Tony's shirt.

"How long?"

"Eleven minuets." Tony said before I could say roughly ten minuets, knowing full well what "how long?" meant. It became a routine question after each short nap. "Oh Jesus."

_... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ..._

_Evelyn POV. _

"When did you say your parents were home?" I breathed out an unsteady, flustered breath with my eyes closed at the response of the feeling of Uriah's soft, warm, open mouth kisses he left beautifully burning from my jaw down to my neck and collar bone. I let out a low moan and flushed red when Uriah breathed a laugh onto the tip of my shoulder. My hands were shaking as one was planted in his hair, the other on his neck and I felt a whole bound of different emotions right now. It was so confusing and scary and turning me on that I wasn't sure what to do.

"Half past." Uriah took one of my shaky hands and kissed up my wrists with a reassuring squeeze.

"Okay."

"Yeah, it is okay, y'know. It's me." He whispered and pressed my lips against his, I could feel his lips tugging up into a smile. I knew well enough we would eventually 'do the deed' or what ever because I knew he was the one for me - so far anyway. But every time I thought about it, it made me so damn nervous and scared. What if it hurt like the last time? What if I had a flashback or something and ruined everything? What if it was another bad experience? The only experience of it had been bad and a horrible, horrible phase in my life. I trusted Uriah and we'd been dating for months now, over four months I thought. We'd said all of the 'I love you's' a while back for the first time, gone on numerous dates which was easy to do around family routines because no one generally noticed that Uriah and I were going on dates because we did a lot of things together anyway.

"I know it's you, but it's me too." I pushed him back by the shoulders and stared him hard in the eyes, seeing his expression. His eyes, lit with the colour of crashing blue waves, unsettled with passion. Skin glowing with content. Lips slightly swollen and a little red from the kissing.

"You 'wanna talk about it?" Uriah leaned back and sat at the end of his bed while I sat at the top with the pillows behind me, I smiled at him and ran my socked feet up and down his shins.

"I don't know what to say!" I laughed out of frustration and trying to keep the atmosphere light.

"Say whatever you want. You can tell me stuff, y'know." Uriah's eyebrows furrowed. I nodded.

"I do. I tell you everything." I went forward and straddled his lap despite my thumping heart.

"That's 'cause you love me." Uriah teased with a smile and placed his hands on the backs of my bent knees on my skinny jeans and rubbed circles with his thumbs.

"Yeah, I do. You like me?" I pressed up against him a little more, kissing his jaw bone with elicted a satisfied sigh.

"Oh, yeah. I like you. A. Lot." He grinned just before he gently crashed his lips to mine, I ran my tongue along his lips. I felt him nudge my mouth open with his lips and slip his tongue into my mouth, entwining with my own. Still in the middle of a deepening kiss, the door crashed open too quickly for Uriah and I to leap apart and assume 'natural' positions. Uriah and I pulled away and looked into each others eyes cringing at our position and slowly craned our heads to the door.

"Hi guys. You-ah, team building exercises?" Uncle Clint leaned casually against the door frame with a creepy, satisfied grin on his face and spoke with the most too casual, teasing voice ever.

"Get out!" Uriah shouted angrily and threw a pillow at his dad and he quickly shut the door with a laugh, an almost hysteric laugh. We both heard the next few sentences outside the door between Uncle Clint and Aunty Nat.

"What are you laughing at now?"

"Oh, just the sound of sweet, sweet, teenage, hormonal irony. Irony." We both heard Uncle Clint's laughing radiate throughout the house.

"I haven't heard a laugh quite like that since Budapest." Aunty Natasha quirked back with her own laugh.

"Oh, man." I whined and lay my head on Uriah's shoulder. He let out a gust of held in breath and pressed a kiss into my hair.

"Well... that'll be interesting later. Please don't leave." Uriah still laughed through his speech but I still knew he wanted me to stay still.

"I wish I could. I need to go. Graduation is a few days away and I need to write a speech." I sighed. I was just about to graduate from MIT summa cum laude. MI flippin' T! Just like my dad! At eighteen! I've also been nominated to do a speech on behalf of the whole student body and so far I have nothing, especially with all of the aggravation going on at home. Rowan's detoxication was emotionally draining everyone, especially him. So my writing creativity has been non existent over the last couple of weeks where I could have been prepping for my speech. Now, with only a few days to go, I'm still empty handed in the speech department. Yikes. I might need to enquire some fatherly help or motherly.

_... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... _

_Pepper POV. _

"You okay?" I asked Tony, once down in the workshop and finding him down there very motionless with his eyes fixated on an unknown point. My hands went down to his shoulders and worked out some tight knots that had tied up in the past week or so.

"Mmhm." A quiet hum from Tony indicated that he hadn't slipped into a coma whilst sitting down. He swivelled his chair round to face me and pulled me in between his parted legs.

"Someone's soppy today." I commented with a little laugh as Tony wrapped his arms around my waist and lay his head sideways on my chest.

"Don't tell anyone." He joked into my shirt.

"I won't, baby. Secrets safe with me." I kissed his hair.

"M' just tired. I've been thinking about calling Bruce in."

"Me too." I admitted.

"It's not fair, Pep." He sighed pitifully, quite un-Tony like but very 'fatherly like'.

"I agree. I think he's been suffering too much. If Bruce can get him some medication or pain killers and an IV, that'd be great. Rowan's gone from having little sleep to none at all."

"I'll give him a call soon." He turned his head up to pull me down for a kiss.

After I set out of the workshop and telling Tony to go and have a nap, JARVIS told me he was about to take the elevator upstairs. I walked up to the kitchen where a shockingly, unpleasant sight welcomed me. I saw Rowan idling in the kitchen looking like death's next victim with one of our chef knives. The thick, sharp blade shaking in his grip from his uncontrollable quivering. Rowan lowered the blade to his wrist and absentmindedly pressed and moved it in a light sawing motion, when I shouted out his name.

"Rowan!" I cried out, horrified. He jumped and his hand accidentally slashed the blade across his wrist unleashing a Nile of red.

"Oh, crap! What on earth are you doing?! How the hell could you do this to yourself?!" I marched over and yanked the knife out of his hand whilst holding his wrist up to stop the incredulous amount of blood flow.

"I can't. I can't do this. I want out. I want to take the cowards way out." Rowan said bluntly through a fresh wave of tears.

"I heard shouting, Pep. Is everything oka-" Tony walked through the door way and stopped short, his gaze going straight to the blood and slash in Rowan's wrist.

"I'm sorry!" Rowan cried out, exhausted. Exhausted by the withdrawal and lack of sleep and how ill he felt coupled with his probable desperation for some drink.

"You can do this without doing that." I told him sternly. Probably to sternly, Tony stepped over.

"It's alright, Pep. Go and call Bruce, I've got this."

"No it's fine-"

"Pepper, call Bruce. It's fine." Tony put his hand on my shoulder and squeezed.

"Okay." She sighed, and felt Tony's fingers graze mine as they took possession of Rowan's elevated wrist, the fresh blood quickly ribboning his fingers.

_... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... _

_Tony POV. _

"Come on, sit down before you flake out on me." I carefully sat him down on one of the breakfast bar's chairs. Rowan didn't say anything or look at me. I briefly left him to get the first aid kit.

"Why d'ya do it?" I asked him, once I has the first aid kit Pepper had used on me more than a hundred times after a mission and took out the necessary items.

"It isn't the way, you can do this. You know. Your doing so well and I can't even imagine what it's like. But anyway, Bruce is going to come round and get you hooked up with an IV and medication. The withdrawal will pass and you'll feel better soon." I promised him quietly.

"Are you angry?" The first time his voiced aired was almost painful to listen to. It was dry and raspy but all at the same time it was also emotionally drained and sorry.

"I'm shocked. And a little disappointed but no, I'm not angry." I admitted this and finished wrapping the gauze around his wrist and secured the end.

"Sorry."

"I know." I sighed, pulling him into a tight hug.

"I don't think I can do it. I want to be a coward and have a drink." It broke my heart to hear the tone of his voice and the remorse he expressed.

"I can't let you do that. Come on, your mom's on the phone to Bruce," I kissed his forehead and hair several times without - for once, hearing any complaint. "Don't get upset, I love you, kid."

And for the first time in a long time, once I was sat down on the couch talking with JARVIS about a file on my phone, Rowan brought up a blanket and wormed himself around my side and closed his eyes. Some blood seeping through the bandages already, I changed it again. Pepper walked down the stairs, cell phone in hand, looking immensely upset.

"Can't Bruce make it?"

"Yeah, he can. It's just what happened then." She whispered with her cell idly resting under chin, where her arms were crossed and one turned upwards. "I know."

Rowan couldn't even find the emotional strength to pipe up when we were talking about him, even though he was trying to drift off.

A couple of hours later, Bruce arrived. Medical equipment piled into his old, rust bucket of a car and hooked Rowan up to an IV with medication designed to take away some of the symptoms. Which worked, but still the insomnia was ever existent, so Rowan ended up lying in bed like a stupefied zombie.

_... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ..._

_(A/N : Yeah, I did knick this from The Twilight Saga : Eclipse, because I love this speexh so much! Every time I watch Eclipse and see Anna Kendrick/Jessica read her speech, it gives me goose bumps. So don't sue me, Stephanie Meyer!) _

_Tony POV. _

"When we were five, they asked us what we wanted to be when we grew up. Our answers were things like astronaut, president, or in my case… a princess. When we were ten, they asked again and we answered - rock star, cowboy, or in my case, a gold medallist. But now that we've grown up, they want a serious answer. Well, how 'bout this: who the hell knows?!" Evelyn paused to look up and nervously laugh, joining in with the rest of the huge audience's laugh, and carried on more confidently with her speech over her round of applause, "This isn't the time to make hard and fast decisions, its time to make mistakes. Take the wrong train and get stuck somewhere. Fall in love - a lot. Major in philosophy 'cause there's no way to make a career out of that. Change your mind. Then change it again, because nothing is permanent. So make as many mistakes as you can. That way, someday, when they ask again what we want to be… we won't have to guess. We'll know." Evelyn finished her speech, smiling through all of the cheers and applause she received from the crowd of parents and loved ones and all of her class mates. As soon as she said the last word I shot up in my seat to clap with all my might as a very proud father, while the now graduated students threw their caps up in the air and celebrated after they collected their cheered out and clapped high above her head, she was already crying and jumping.

"Oh my god, Tony she did it!"

"Yeah." Was all I could utter proudly watching someone who had once been my little girl, my princess, flourish into a brilliant, beautiful young lady. Strong and powerful in every way like her mother, already walking along in her ridiculous heels with her confident smile and stance. God. I was so proud of who she had become all by herself and propelled herself through MIT without any struggle. My little girl wasn't so little anymore and that thought was the thought that brought an overwhelming sense over me. I didn't realise the pride filled tears were already spilling until I felt someone clap my back.

"Stark! Oh, man! Don't go soft on us!" Clint laughed as I hastily willed back some of my testosterone.

"Shut up, Barton. My kid just graduated from MIT without a hitch. I think I'm allowed to go a little soft, thanks."

We walked down from the bleachers, all of the parents slightly shaky and teary eyed and nervously laughing at and with each other as we all made our way down to our kids who, at the moment, were all celebrating, crying, hugging and promising not to lose touch. Evelyn saw us, laughing through her happy tears. She trotted over, running in her heels as fast as she could and jumped on me. Evelyn and I knew how much this meant to the both of us, it meant a great deal to her to go to the same school/uni/college as her father and Evelyn really did feel the strain to do as well as me. This was of course the end result. She had aced it without a hitch, and had done better, I may say.

"Oh my god, baby, sweetheart! I'm so, so proud of you!" I showered her in kisses on her forehead and cheeks, holding her flush against me.

"I can't believe I did it! How was my speech? Life changing, huh?" She wiped her eyes and I set her down, Pepper got next dibs and did the same routine as I did.

"It was epic, you smashed it, babe." I stroked her hair.

"You were so amazing up there! Your dad and I are so proud of you!" Pepper wept.

"Thanks, mom!"

"Can I hug my goddaughter now?!" Natasha laughed as soon as Pepper and Evelyn pulled away to laugh at each other and wipe their eyes. Evelyn pulled of her cap and hugged her Aunty Natasha and then her Uncle Clint, and the rest of the party we had along with us. Including Rhodey.

"What was dad's speech like?" Evelyn asked Rhodey.

"He went up there and thanked no one but himself for being a genius, if I remember roughly?" Rhodey remembered grimly, adding in a theatrical shudder.

"Was I hung over?" I stroked my beard thoughtfully and looking into the distance.

"Almost definitely, I remember having to get him out of bed… And trying to drag him back to the dorms the night before."

"Your 'gonna go on to do some great things, squirt." Clint actually looked like he enjoyed the hug which made me laugh.

"Yeah, she is." I kissed the top of her head again proudly and wrapped her under my arm, beginning to lead the cavalry towards the car.


End file.
